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

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil hopeful of additions as January transfer window opens #AFCB

January 2, 2023
GARY O’Neil is hopeful Cherries can “improve” their “fantastic” squad, with the transfer window now open again. Clubs in England have until Tuesday, January 31 to conclude deals to strengthen for the second half of the season. Cherries slipped to 15th in the Premier League table, following Saturday’s disappointing 2-0 home reverse against Crystal Palace. This month marks the first time new owner Bill Foley can provide funds for transfers, after completing his takeover of the club last month. He has previously stated his hope to add “four or five” new players to the squad in this window. Asked if the performance against Crystal Palace has heightened the need for additions, boss O’Neil said: “No, I don’t like to react to things quickly. “I think we’ve achieved a decent points tally in the last few games with the group we’ve got. “They’re a fantastic group. “The transfer window opens and, as with the other 19 teams in the league, we’ll be looking to improve. “It’s not always easy in January. Sometimes it’s a tricky month to get good players out of where they are. “But we will be looking to improve. Hopefully help the boys we’ve got here, who are a great group, work their socks off - honest, have quality. “But if we can add to that, of course it helps our chances.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil on putting in hard work ahead of transfer window #AFCB

December 26, 2022
GARY O’Neil’s approach to the transfer window will be the same as his coaching philosophy – “loads of hard work”. Cherries seem set for another busy January based on chairman Bill Foley’s comments, indicating a healthy budget for the upcoming transfer window. O’Neil has concurred with Foley’s belief that the squad will need strengthening, with the transfer window representing the head coach’s first foray into the market. Speaking on how he is prepared for making transfers for the first time, O’Neil shared:“The same as I deal with preparing for games. Do loads of hard work on it, make sure you've covered. “I'm always really confident on things once I've done enough work on them. “I remember speaking about the Wolves game and stood there a little bit nervous, and that was just because we'd only had a day and I didn't really know what I was looking at. “I didn't know what to expect. I’ve always thought if I put enough work in, I arrive at a conclusion that I'm really confident and comfortable with, and that will be the same with the recruitment. “Plus we have an incredible recruitment team who have real good track record in the players that we've managed to recruit at the club. “The work that will be done will go through a process and we'll try and make sure we get the right ones.”Asked for the biggest differences between his interim spell and operating in the role on a permanent basis. O’Neil joked: “There’s probably slightly more off-pitch questions landing on my desk than they did before. “Which I try to ignore, but they tend to come back and someone asks them again! “So there’s a bit more to do. But the nature of the job, it feels the same to me. “I treated it last time as if I was the head coach, so it won’t be too different for me.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals how AFC Bournemouth’s January recruitment plan will look #AFCB

December 24, 2022
GARY O’Neil commented how January recruitment will be a shared effort, although the Cherries head coach’s say “will have an impact on what gets done and what doesn’t”. Made permanent boss in November, the winter window represents the first chance for O’Neil to put his stamp on the playing squad at Cherries. Cherries chairman Bill Foley suggested “four or five players” could be arriving at the Vitality Stadium in the upcoming window, with O’Neil less forthcoming with his transfer plans. He shared:“I won't confirm the number that we're targeting or not. "I think we are, as is everybody, probably looking to improve the squad, and as we know, with transfer windows, things can move fast or they can move slowly, and I think numbers could change as we move through the process.” Technical director Richard Hughes and CEO Neill Blake will likely be central figures in the planning of the window, as O’Neil is in frequent contact with the pair. “It will be a team effort, as it has always been, I think, at the club,” he restarted. “We have a real good recruitment team. “Obviously, I speak to Richard and Neil very often and, yeah, we'll have discussions around it and make sure that the best interest of the club and improving the squad. “The work that goes in needs to be in depth and it needs to make sure that we take as much chance and luck and things out of it as we can and make sure we arrive at the right conclusions. “I suppose clubs do it differently, but, I think as a Premier League manager, you don't have time to fly off around the world, watching players live, so your knowledge of who's out there and who's available can only be so deep. “You rely on the group, the team, everyone coming together to make sure it's a joint effort. “Then, of course, my say at the end of it will have an impact on what gets done and what doesn't.” With the window opening in nine days, clubs may look to put their ducks in a row to get a head start in recruitment, with O’Neil again coy. He added: “There's, of course, been discussions around the window approaching, so there's been discussions, but, yeah, nothing concrete to arrive on yet. “The club continue to work and make sure we put ourselves in the best place to get the work done that we need to get done within the month of January.   “I think every club, if they're going to do business, would rather get it concluded early. “But, there are selling clubs involved as well. So, yes, it's not always easy.”
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton boss hoping to ‘quickly’ add to squad in transfer window #SAINTSFC

December 20, 2022
SAINTS manager Nathan Jones has indicated that his new team will be busy in the January transfer window, telling the Daily Echo that “there are certain things we need and we need them quickly.” The former Luton boss replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl more than a month ago but only now is preparing to take charge of his first home game thanks to the World Cup break.  A busy week on their return to action sees Saints face Lincoln City in the League Cup round of 16 before getting back to Premier League business against Brighton & Hove Albion on Boxing Day. Heading into the rest of the season, Saints find themselves precariously placed second-bottom and two points adrift of safety. And while Jones believes his squad has the quality to compete in the Premier League, he is hopeful of adding to his group when the January transfer window opens - with conversations inside the club already under way. “Look, if you’re an organised football club, you do your recruitment well well in advance,” Jones explained to the Daily Echo.  “My previous club we were six months in advance, always looking at windows, always looking at the next level, always looking at pushing boundaries. And here they are exactly the same.  “We have one of the best recruiters in the world in Rasmus Ankersen and Sport Republic in how they do that. So we’ve been really regimented in what we want, we’ve been clear in what we want, what type of player, what position, everything we want.  “We’ve narrowed that down and we’ll be having conversations to try and get those through the door as early as we can because there are certain things we need and we need them quickly.  “So they are well in advance, any well organised, well run, diligent football club would have already done that weeks and months in advance. Obviously it’s been difficult for Southampton with the change in manager, only six weeks to restart, but we’ve restarted immediately.” A promising first summer under Sport Republic’s ownership saw more than £60m splurged on nine permanent additions but despite reported late efforts to sign Goncalo Ramos and Cody Gakpo, Saints failed to address their lack of firepower up front. Three months later and unsurprisingly they’ve paid the price for failing to secure a marquee striker with just 13 goals in 15 games. Saints fans will be hoping those issues are alleviated as soon as possible. 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.
Marcus Tavernier
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Marcus Tavernier reveals joining Cherries ‘best decision I’ve made so far’ #AFCB

December 3, 2022
MARCUS Tavernier has labelled his summer switch to Cherries as “the best decision I’ve made so far in my career”. The 23-year-old arrived at the Vitality Stadium from Championship side Middlesbrough in August for a reported fee of around £12million, making Cherries just the third club Tavernier has represented at a senior level, after a six-month loan spell at Milton Keynes Dons in 2018. Leeds-born, Tavernier started his footballing career in the youth system at Newcastle United, before making the switch to Teesside at under-14 level. Apart from the aforementioned loan at MK Dons, Tavernier spent just shy of a decade at the Riverside, joining the club in 2013 and progressing into the first team, where he made 155 senior appearances for Boro. Tavernier has been ever-present in the Premier League since joining Cherries, starting in all 15 league fixtures under both Gary O’Neil and his predecessor Scott Parker. Whilst Cherries fans were largely impressed with his livewire performances early on in his career on the south coast, Tavernier quashed doubts regarding his output in the final three games before the break, bursting into life with two goals and four assists. The former Boro man attributed his seamless transition to his teammates with helping him settle quickly in Dorset. Reflecting on his transfer this summer, Tavernier told the Daily Echo: “I think this is probably the best decision I've made so far in my career. “I can't thank the boys enough for helping me settle in down here. “I just feel like I can be my normal self and play with confidence on the pitch.”Cherries as a whole will take confidence from their league position heading into the second half of the season, with O’Neil’s charges sitting in 14th with 16 points from their opening 15 games. Although only three points separate Cherries from the relegation zone, Tavernier believes his team have shown they have what it takes to go and secure safety in the latter half of the campaign. “I think everyone looking at us and the performances we've put in, we've shown that we're capable to stay in this league. “We've had a couple of performances where we haven't got the results, and we haven't put the points on the board but I think if you see and watch us play, that we're more than capable to stay in this league.” Tavernier is currently with Cherries in Dubai as O’Neil’s side gear up for their return to competitive fixtures at the end of the month. Cherries return to action on Wednesday, December 21, when they travel to Newcastle in the fourth round of the League Cup.  
Alex McCarthy Southampton
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy reveals how close he was to joining Liverpool #SAINTSFC #LFC

December 1, 2022
SAINTS goalkeeper Alex McCarthy has revealed he was close to signing for Liverpool before a call from Harry Redknapp persuaded him to instead join QPR.  The 32-year-old is now into his seventh season at St Mary’s and has lost his number one role to summer signing Gavin Bazunu, who has played every Premier League minute this year. McCarthy, a Reading shot-stopper at the time, was a wanted man across the Premier League in 2014 and had played under then-Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers with the Royals. He reveals being stood at a train station ready to head to Merseyside when another former Saints manager gave him a call. "The move to QPR was strange because I'd worked with Brendan before at Reading and he wanted to bring me to Liverpool," explained McCarthy on the Yours, Mine, Away! Podcast. "The morning I ended up going to QPR, I was about to get on the train to Liverpool but then I had Harry Redknapp call me.” McCarthy’s proposed move to Liverpool had been to provide competition and support for first-choice goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. "I knew at Liverpool I wasn't just going to go in and play, obviously he couldn't guarantee me any football,” McCarthy admitted. “But Harry Redknapp called me and obviously he knew about Liverpool and said there are definitely more opportunities to play here so it was a tough situation. "Working with Brendan at Liverpool or Harry at QPR. I was stood at the train station with my dad and my agent going over it and over it and because I had been playing at Reading, I wanted to carry on playing so I ended up going to QPR and signing there. "I'm a big believer that things always happen for a reason. It took me a while to get into the team and I when I did, I played against Liverpool and had to go off with a quad strain so I was out of the team again and Rob (Green) was doing well so it was a weird one. "I had a chance to go to Liverpool but chose to go to QPR. I was there for a season, we got relegated and then I went to Crystal Palace." McCarthy spent just one season at both QPR and Crystal Palace, only playing a total of 10 Premier League games before moving to St Mary’s in 2016. He has now amassed 131 appearances in a Saints shirt but had to wait two seasons until he truly emerged as a number one goalkeeper. McCarthy extended his contract to remain with Saints last year and the deal was finally confirmed by the club this summer, when his previous was due to expire. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo. Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website. You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil always felt he was on a ‘journey’ to management after full time appointment #AFCB

November 29, 2022
GARY O’Neil insisted he always saw himself taking on a managerial role at a club – before being announced as Cherries’ permanent boss. The 39-year-old on Sunday was confirmed as the Dorset club’s head coach on a full-time basis, signing an 18-month deal with the provision to be extended for a further 12 months. O’Neil stepped up from being a first-team coach at Vitality Stadium to lead Cherries, after the sacking of Scott Parker just four league games into the season.   But the former Portsmouth and West Ham midfielder insisted he was always on a journey to management. Speaking after Cherries’ 3-0 victory over Everton, before the World Cup break, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I always saw myself as a manager when I set off and when I went to Liverpool to do the under-23s as assistant. That was just part of the journey to become a manager. “I always felt like a manager, waiting to be a manager. “I enjoy it. I enjoy the intricacies of it, trying to make sure the lads are ready tactically, mentally, physically.” O’Neil has picked up 13 points from 11 Premier League games while in interim charge of Cherries. A number of the club’s players voiced their backing of the 39-year-old to be awarded the role on a full-time basis. “If I speak about the lads, I couldn’t think any more of them. They are an incredible group,” said O’Neil.   “We have suffered some tough moments together. I have asked a lot of them with the ball, without the ball, physically. “I speak highly of them all the time but they are an incredible group and I’m lucky to work with them.” Cherries’ next test comes at Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, December 21.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil speaks on links to jobs at other clubs #AFCB

October 19, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil maintained his unwavering focus on his current role at Cherries, stressing it “wouldn’t be fair” to say he had been approached for manager roles elsewhere. Earlier in his reign as caretaker head coach, former Portsmouth and West Ham midfielder O’Neil was linked to vacant roles at two Championship sides, his former club Middlesbrough and last season’s play-off finalists Huddersfield Town. It had been reported by the Northern Echo that Boro had weighed up making a formal approach for their ex-player, but in the end, no official attempt to lure O’Neil back North was made. When asked if it would be fair to say he had been approached by other clubs, O’Neil stated: “No, that wouldn't be fair. “I've been fully focused on the Bournemouth job, but no contact, nothing from anywhere else. “I've spent every moment focused on the team, making sure we're ready for the next game. There's been no interest or I've not been interested to look anywhere else.” When pushed further to ask if his agent had fielded any calls, O’Neil again insisted he was fully concentrating on his current remit at the Vitality Stadium. He restarted: “I think the way I work is when I'm at somewhere, I'm at somewhere. “I've been at Bournemouth for 18 months and I've been fully focused on Bournemouth since the moment I walked in the door. And that hasn't changed for a single second in the last six weeks.” Whilst speculation persists around Cherries’ vacant managerial position, there is a lot of noise surrounding the Dorset club’s next opponents, Southampton, and their incumbent boss Ralph Hasenhuttl. Saints are currently in the relegation zone, with just one point in their last five games. Speaking in his own press conference, Hasenhuttl praised O’Neil for the “very impressive” job he had performed at Vitality Stadium. Despite the praise from an experienced colleague, O’Neil reiterated his priority – focusing on the task at hand, and the upcoming encounter with Saints tomorrow evening (kick-off 7.30pm). O’Neil shared: “I'm really proud of what the players have produced. “Really proud because they were in what was a tough moment. Ralph has been through that with his players as well. “To come back from the 9-0 and respond how they have, I'm really, really proud of them. “That doesn't change the fact that we need to keep going and we've achieved nothing yet. “Wednesday night is massive again for us. “We've done a good job so far as a group players, but the next one is always massive. “It can change so quickly.” There are no new injury concerns for Cherries, with only Lloyd Kelly and David Brooks set to miss out.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil content with current arrangement – and in ‘no rush’ to leave if he is not given head coach job full time #AFCB

October 7, 2022
IT IS business as usual for Gary O’Neil, with the interim head coach stressing he is happy to take charge of Cherries game-by-game – whilst also sharing he’d like to remain at the Vitality Stadium even if he does not get the job. Now six weeks into the role and approaching his fifth game in charge of the first team, O’Neil remains favourite with the bookies to be handed the role full time, as of writing. Unbeaten in his first four games in management, the former Portsmouth midfielder has helped stabilise Cherries following a 9-0 defeat at Liverpool and the departure of Scott Parker. Despite looking comfortable in the hot seat, and harbouring ambitions of management, O’Neil shared he was content with his current arrangement, before revealing how he would be in “no rush” to leave if he reverted back to his previous role as first team coach. He stated: “I think I aim to manage a football team permanently. “That's always been my goal since I started coaching. “The more I do this, obviously the better I'm going to get at it. “But it doesn't change my outlook on what's going on here. I'm really happy with the situation as it is and happy to take it game by game. “I've been here a relatively long time in football now anyway, so I feel at home here because I've been here for 18 months. “I get on great with everybody from upstairs, Richard Hughes, Neill Blake, to the guys that we work closely with over in the pavilion and training ground. “So, yeah, I love it here. I’m in no rush to get away.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl admits missing a striker to score goals but challenges his defence #SAINTSFC

October 7, 2022
RALPH Hasenhuttl admitted Saints are missing a spark who can score from nothing like previously but insisted the real “problem” still remains the concession of goals. The Austrian was open about wanting another striker during the summer transfer window, with a reported deal for PSV’s Cody Gakpo falling through on deadline day. Saints made 10 additions in total but only Sekou Mara, Joe Aribo and Samuel Edozie really bolstered the attacking options – with Armando Broja returning to Chelsea. Meanwhile, Saints still look to truly replace Danny Ings – who departed in a £30million deal to Aston Villa last summer – with Adam Armstrong yet to get firing regularly. “In the Premier League to score goals, it is not the easiest thing to do,” Hasenhuttl admitted, speaking ahead of their visit to Manchester City. “And even if you create chances, like we have done in the past, there is still quality to defend in this area. And therefore you need exceptional moments and we couldn't create this moment in our last games enough. “That can help to turn games around completely. A guy upfront who scores a goal from nothing. This is what a lot of teams have.” He added: “And in the end, we had this last season also, in our best moments we had players who scored goals from nothing. And the year before also. This season, we had not so many moments where we say okay, we scored too many goals. “But even then, last week, we had scored the first goal and this must be sometimes enough to win a game. And the problem is that we are not able to have a clean sheet so far. “This is also something what you need to see, we need to get the clean sheets also to argue about that. The way we defend after the first goal (versus Everton) was not Premier League.” Their opponents on Saturday, managed by Pep Guardiola, have not left their supporters wanting for a magic moment or glut of goals at all this season. In three of the last four Premier League games, City have scored in the opening 15 minutes and gone on to net six, three and six goals respectively. They then did the same in the Champions League versus Copenhagen on Wednesday, Erling Haaland scoring in the seventh minute and the team winning 5-0. However, Hasenhuttl warned that even if you survive the opening quarter of an hour – you are not safe from Guardiola’s charges. “Not enough for 15 minutes to be good. We have had this in the Etihad very often. You have to be as I said, very, very clear in what you have to expect there,” he added. “You have to run unbelievably much. You have to fight unbelievably much. You have to play football unbelievably good. You have to be brave in some crazy moments. And in the end, you have to have massive luck.” Hasenhuttl continued: “So all these points have to be there. And we have shown that we can do this and the reason why we go there. These are, for me, the most interesting games in a year. “And you can feel the whole energy in the group. The whole week was fantastic because everybody is looking forward and everybody wants to play this game. This is what I want to see.” A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo. Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website. You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more. Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire
Chris Wilder
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Chris Wilder shuts down ‘nonsense’ speculation linking him to Cherries job #AFCB

October 1, 2022
CHRIS Wilder has again shut down "nonsense" reports linking him with the vacant Cherries job. During the international break, various outlets claimed Cherries were eyeing up Middlesbrough boss Wilder as their new head coach. The Daily Echo understands the 55-year-old is not on the shortlist to be offered the role, despite bookmakers slashing his odds last week. The club are still on the lookout for a new boss, having sacked Scott Parker last month. Gary O'Neil is set to take charge of his fourth game as interim head coach against Brentford tomorrow. Boro currently sit in the Championship relegation zone. Asked if his next move would be to Cherries, Wilder said: "No. A hundred per cent not. "It's nonsense what's happened. "I dealt with that speculation a month ago. I put it to bed. "It's come from nowhere, it's not needed by anybody. "I've just laughed it off really." He added: "I think that's what happens when teams don't get results that maybe they're expected to. There's all sorts of things happening - you've fallen out with the owner, he's gone, I've gone, everybody's off, everybody's abandoning ship. "Every job that I've taken, I've taken when they've not been in a good position. The club wasn't in a good position. "I'm not saying they're in a great position now, but every club that I've taken on and been employed in, there's a build. There's a build towards it. "We're suffering a little bit of pain at the moment, but not a time for anybody to walk away. "Of course, we're all ambitious, everybody wants to work at the highest level. "I want to work at the highest level with this football club, with Middlesbrough. I think everybody understands that. "Sometimes you just have to deal with the noise and nonsense that comes." The former Sheffield United boss added: "If I was on social media. I would've put it to bed as soon as it came out. "Thankfully I'm not on social media, so I had to wait until Friday. "But these are things that you have to deal with in this game. "All focus, 18 months left on my contract, all focus of turning our positive performances into positive results that ultimately will see us go up the division." At the time of writing, Wilder is listed as 7/4 second favourite with Sky Bet for the Cherries job, behind odds-on favourite O'Neil (8/11).