Alexis Mac Allister
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister hopes for World Cup role with Argentina #ARGENTINA #BHAFC #WorldCup2022

November 22, 2022
Alexis Mac Allister can learn from painful experience as helps carry the hopes of a nation. The Albion midfielder is comoeting for a start for Argentina as they open their World Cup campaign versus Saudi Arabia. He had made impressive progress within the national squad, built on performance in the Premier League. Now he could step into the starting midfield after Giovani Lo Celso was ruled out by injury. Mac Allister played for Argentina under-23s in a disappointing Olympics campaign. He told The Argus: “The Olympic Games were not what we expected. “It wasn’t a great experience for us but we have to take positives and negatives. “We know how hard it is to play a tournament like this. “You have to be 100% in every game, try to win all of them. “And we are very confident in ourselves and that is the most important thing.” Mac Allister started the last friendly before the World Cup, versus the United Arab Emirates, and was in the XI at training on Saturday. But fit-again Sevilla man Papu Gomez was in the team in the final session yesterday and appeared to be favourite for the XI. Whoever gets the nod will help support a front three of Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez Mac Allister said: “I think this group of players is like special. “Everyone in Argentina can see that. “We feel the support of our people and that is amazing. “We know the World Cup is totally different. “You have got three games and lots of very good teams. We have to cam down a little bit.”
chris mepham Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Chris Mepham dreaming of starting Wales World Cup opener #AFCB

November 18, 2022
CHERRIES defender Chris Mepham believes he has given himself “the best possible opportunity” to start Monday’s World Cup opener for Wales. After some tough spells at Cherries, with high profile errors, injuries and being left out of the team, Mepham has risen to the challenge this season and been a staple of the team’s top-flight XI. He had started all of Cherries’ Premier League matches this season, playing all-but eight minutes, until missing Saturday’s win over Everton due to suspension. Mepham will be looking to add to his 33 caps in Qatar, with Wales set to get their campaign underway against USA on Monday. They will then face Iran and England in Group B. The 25-year-old is set to compete with the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Tom Lockyer, Joe Rodon and Ben Davies for a starting centre-back berth under boss Rob Page. “First and foremost, I want to play,” Mepham told Sky Sports. “I think I’d be lying if I said otherwise. You come here and it’s such a big stage. “For me it will be a dream to play on this stage. “My form has been good going into it. I’ve had a good run of games, which is something that I’ve always asked for. “I’ve given myself the best possible opportunity to be in that starting XI come Monday.” Asked if progressing out of the group is what Wales have in their sights, Mepham said: “100 per cent, that’s the first thing we’re looking at. “Come out the group, and see where that takes us. We’re more than good enough, we all know that.” The warm weather in Qatar has been a talking point this week, with temperatures upwards of 30 degrees. Discussing how difficult that is making preparations, Mepham said: “It’s tough. Playing in England, it’s obviously a very different climate, different altitude. “But I think where we’ve had warm weather camps in the past, we went to Portugal before the Euros, you kind of try and acclimatise yourself to it. “Naturally it’s going to be tougher. You’re going to need to get fluids on board a lot and I’d imagine there could be (drinks) breaks, I’m not sure. “But we just need to give a good account of ourselves and try and not let the weather and climate affect us.”
Ryan Christie
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie speaks about Scotland duty and last premier league game before World Cup #AFCB

November 16, 2022
RYAN Christie is looking forward to meeting up with Scotland for a friendly against Turkey tomorrow evening (kick-off 5pm) – even if it is “strange timing” according to the winger. With club football on pause for the upcoming World Cup, little attention has been paid to the Premier League players representing their countries in friendlies leading up to the tournament. Traditionally, World Cup-bound countries would play against other teams as preparation for the big stage, however, with the unconventional scheduling of a winter tournament, there is no room in the calendar for friendlies. However, that is not the case for those countries not heading to the World Cup, with Scotland missing out on a spot in Qatar after losing to Ukraine in the play-off semi-final over the summer. A proud Scot who has represented his country 34 times, Christie revealed he was always keen to meet up with his international teammates, even if the important of the game with Turkey paled in comparison to other international fixtures occurring in November. He told the Daily Echo: “I always love going up and meeting with Scotland. “Seeing all the other boys again and representing your country, there's nothing like it. “So, yeah, obviously a bit of a strange timing for it, but I'm sure everyone will be going there excited to play for our country again, to come together as a group again.” Christie will be arriving at the Scotland camp in high spirits, helping Cherries to two wins over Everton prior to the pausing of club football. Prior to Saturday’s 3-0 win over the Toffees, Cherries had lost four Premier League games on the bounce. The former Celtic man believes that the three points earnt will leave everyone at Cherries with a smile on their face, whilst also leaving them keen to get going again after the World Cup finishes towards the end of December. He added: “It was huge. “Gaz (Gary O’Neil) I think going into the game, he was desperate for us to finish with three points. “It sends everyone away from this period and going into the break all happy and positive and looking forward to getting back into it. “So we did just that. Again, after two frustrating results and performance, so I think we're delighted.” Members of the Cherries squad not on international duty will have two weeks off before the club fly out to Dubai for a week-long warm weather camp, according to the Athletic. The report adds whilst in the United Arab Emirates, they will face Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp in a friendly.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil’s message to AFC Bournemouth fans as Premier League pauses for World Cup #AFCB

November 14, 2022
GARY O'Neil thanked Cherries fans for the support they showed him towards the end of Saturday's thumping 3-0 win over Everton, adding: "They're massive to us here." O'Neil's future is up in the air, with the club expected to make a decision on whether to offer the interim head coach the role on a more permanent basis, or look elsewhere during the upcoming six-week break for the World Cup. Cherries are not due in action again until the week commencing December 19. Former Portsmouth midfielder O'Neil, previously a coach under ex-boss Scott Parker, has taken charge of 12 games as interim boss. He has overseen four wins, four draws and four defeats from his time in charge, with Cherries now sitting 13th in the Premier League table, three points clear of the relegation zone. Towards the end of the contest with the Toffees, fans around Vitality Stadium were singing O'Neil's name, and the 39-year-old reciprocated at full-time, making his way around the ground to applaud supporters. "I wanted to show my appreciation," O'Neil told the Daily Echo. "I’ve said it since day one – they’re massive to us here, they are. Because we will be underdogs in most of the games. "And when an interim head coach is put in charge, it’s important that the fans stick with it. "They’ve been through some tough moments with us. Obviously in the last few weeks some tough results, tough situations. "They’ve just stuck with us the whole time. "I just wanted to thank them really for being incredible for the boys and helping the boys get through some sticky moments and hopefully they enjoyed (Saturday)."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on World Cup break #AFCB

November 12, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil would rather the “season just continued as normal” as the Premier League prepares to pause following this weekend’s fixtures for the World Cup. Footballing tradition has been broken with the biggest stage being hosted in winter for the first time, with all 21 previous iterations of the tournament being staged during the summer months. Whilst more serious concerns have been raised regarding host nation Qatar’s record over human rights and treatment of migrant workers, the rearranged schedule has also been a bone of contention for clubs around the world, with the World Cup final taking place two days before Cherries return to action in the League Cup. For Cherries, the break might offer the perfect chance to hire a permanent manger, with O’Neil still operating on the caretaker basis he took on at the end of August, following Scott Parker’s dismissal. Asked for his thoughts on the break, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I'd rather the season just continued as normal.  “But yeah, I mean, there are benefits and negatives to the break. “You will be able to do some good work with the group once you manage to get them back. “We'll be able to get some people back from injury. You will be able to put a real good plan together for the back half of the season.” Before the league schedule is interrupted, Cherries face Everton for the second time in five days, after the Dorset outfit knocked their Merseyside opponents in the League Cup on Tuesday. Victory in the cup marked Cherries’ first win since a 2-1 defeat of Leicester at the start of October, with O’Neil keen to add more points to the league table. “I think the last game before you have a break, you always want it to end on a positive,” he restarted. “So for the boys, before they go away and have a break, for myself, and most importantly for the position it puts the club in, three more points would be huge for us.” Only one point and one place separates 16th placed Everton from Cherries in the final safe spot of 17th. Asked if he viewed the game as a so-called six-pointer, O’Neil detailed: “No, I don't think so. “I can see six pointers sometimes towards the end of seasons. “I don't see them this early, really. I think there's so much that can still go on. “Obviously a winter break, a transfer window so there's so much that can change between now and the end of the season. “It's just a game that we're desperate to go and get more points from.”
Joel Veltman
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Brighton’s player Joel Veltman reveals he is looking forward to games before World Cup #BHAFC

October 28, 2022
Albion defender Joel Veltman believes they are facing a crucial period of the season in the coming two weeks. Saturday's home game against Chelsea is the first of four fixtures, before a six-week break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. And they go into this weekend's meeting with former boss Graham Potter at the Amex sitting in ninth place in the Premier League. “We are looking forward to the rest of the games before the World Cup,” Veltman told the club website.  “We need to focus on Chelsea first. We know there will be a lot of noise around Saturday but Wolves, Aston Villa and Arsenal in the League Cup are just as important.” Albion are still to celebrate a win under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, whose first full month in charge has included games with Liverpool, Tottenham and defending champions Manchester City. But Veltman, 30, feels the wins will soon come as players get more used to the Italian's style of playing, having produced arguably their best performance of the season in a 3-1 loss at the Etihad last weekend. “There is still things to work on, but we are making progress all the time and we will get there,” added Veltman. “Last Saturday we could have done more in ball possession, which is one of our strengths, but against one of the best sides in Europe we showed a lot of courage to play through their lines and we created chances.  "We did well out of possession, were compact and created chances." Erling Haaland struck twice in the first half to put Pep Guardiola's side on top, taking his tally to 17 in 11 games. But Leandro Trossard hit back with a superb effort early in the second half, taking his tally for the season to six, including four goals managed by the team under De Zerbi. And Dutchman Veltman praised his Belgian clubmate, adding: "He is so confident at the moment and he is scoring out of nowhere like shots from outside the box which is one of his strengths. "But a lot of our players are in good form." Chelsea will arrive at the Amex unbeaten in nine matches under ex-Albion boss Potter, having booked a place in the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek. The past three Premier League meetings between the two clubs have ended in draws, but Brighton have yet to beat the Blues in 10 league matches and have not led their rivals in any of those fixtures.
James Ward Prowse
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- James Ward-Prowse on World Cup hopes and lack of goals #SAINTSFC

October 27, 2022
JAMES Ward-Prowse admits he would be "lying" if he said the World Cup was not on his mind, as he looks to force his way into the England squad. There are now less than four weeks until the tournament starts in Qatar, with Gareth Southgate looking to put together a squad of 26 players to end the country's 56-year wait for glory in the event. Ward-Prowse has regularly been part of England squads in recent years, and has netted twice in his 11 senior caps. But the Saints skipper was left out of the final group for Euro 2020 and could face a battle for his spot again this time around. Asked if he was thinking about the upcoming World Cup, or if his focus remained purely on Saints, Ward-Prowse told Sky Sports: "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. "I think it's on everybody's minds. Everybody's looking forward to it and there's still a lot of football to be played between now and then. "So concentrate on the club football and hopefully that will take care of itself." The 27-year-old reached double figures for goals for Saints last season, but has managed to net just once so far this term, that coming on the opening day at Tottenham. Discussing his lack of goals, Ward-Prowse said: "I've not had many opportunities with the free-kick side of things. But that's not the main focus of my game. "My game is a lot more about the goals and the work that I do for the team. "So as long as I do that right, the goals will come." Saints have recently turned a corner, picking up five points from three games over the space of eight days. That came on the back of four straight defeats and has lifted Ralph Hasenhuttl's men out of the relegation zone and up into 16th. "We know it wasn't the greatest start to the season, but last week was huge for us," said Ward-Prowse. "Five points is a good total in the Premier League, considering the opposition. "So we've got a good platform now to go to (Crystal) Palace on Saturday and look forward to that one." Previewing the trip to Selhurst Park this weekend, Ward-Prowse added: "Tough. I think they've really improved under Patrick Vieira. "We know it's a tough place to go. "We've had good games with them down the years and I'm sure Saturday will be another one." A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo. Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website. You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more. Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook