Sean Dyche Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Sean Dyche won’t panic after Burnley’s defeat at fellow strugglers Norwich City#BURNLEYFC

April 11, 2022
SEAN Dyche struck a defiant chord after he watched Burnley’s hopes of survival suffer a blow with a 2-0 loss at relegation rivals Norwich. A vital midweek win over Everton had moved the Clarets within a point of safety but the gap to the fourth-from-bottom Toffees is back to four after the weekend’s Premier League action. It leaves Burnley with eight games to secure survival and extend their top flight stay into a seventh campaign. And Dyche said: “We are still fighting. The league table hasn’t changed dramatically so now it is about taking the next eight games on. “That will be the focus. Nothing’s done, nothing is agreed or finished. “It is time to regroup the mentality because it was so strong second half against Everton, so it is never far away and now it is time to take that into the next run of games. It is for us to change what is going on, not for all the other teams.” A lack of goals has been a problem all season for the Clarets and this blank made it a fifth game in six where they have not found the net. January recruit Wout Weghorst was withdrawn after 56 minutes and Dyche admitted the former Wolfsburg forward needs to be more selfish having only scored once in 12 starts for his new club. He added: “I think – and it is a positive, but it is a strange thing to mention – Wout is almost too team-bound at the minute. “We need to get him to focus on him and his game. He is almost thinking of everything and ‘I need to do this for the team, this for the team’ and in an honest, authentic way because that is the type of character he is. “But maybe it is almost like ‘OK, stop, standstill – we need to focus on your game and how you can bring yourself to work with the team.’ I think he is still adjusting to that.” Burnley are on the road again on Sunday with a trip to West Ham, where captain Ben Mee could return after he sustained a hairline fracture of the fibula last month. “We will have to wait and see how he is but he is back on the grass which is good,” Dyche said. “Hopefully he will continue to be good and we’ll get him back fit.”
Sean Dyche Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLstories- Burnley boss Sean Dyche gives verdict on Norwich City defeat #BURNLEYFC

April 11, 2022
BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche admits his side’s 2-0 defeat against Norwich feels like “a big step back”. Pierre Lees-Melou opened the scoring before Teemu Pukki wrapped up the result inside the final five minutes. Dyche was frustrated his team were not able to build on Wednesday’s 3-2 win against relegation rivals Everton. The Clarets are now four points from safety following the Toffees’ 1-0 victory against Manchester United. “The feeling is that it was a big step forward in the week and a big step back today,” Dyche said. “After a really strong second half against Everton and win, we came down here and could not build on that. “We couldn’t find clarity in the final third, which has been the story of our season.” The key moment arrived in the 65th minute when substitute Dwight McNeil picked out Cornet at the back post, but Burnley’s leading marksman sliced wide from close range. Dyche added: “Obviously Maxwel’s chance is a golden one and they have got to go in. "We had a golden chance to change the whole feel of the game and didn’t take it.” The Clarets are back in action on Sunday, April 17 when they head to the London Stadium to take on West Ham (KO 2:15pm). Clarets on social, plus take out a subscription... Keep up to date with our Burnley coverage on social media by joining us on Facebook and Twitter Gain unlimited access to the Lancashire Telegraph website with a premium digital subscription Or if you want the Telegraph newspaper delivered to your door, get in touch with our home delivery team or call us on 0800 953 0227
Adam Webster Brighton
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Brighton’s Adam Webster gives update on injury absence #BHAFC

April 7, 2022
Adam Webster has revealed he can put no date on his return from injury. The defender has not played since the defeat at Manchester United two months ago tonight. He initially had a groin injury but has since been hindered by a calf issue. Albion have picked up just one point in the seven games he has missed. Fans are hoping to see him return on Saturday at Arsenal, where he scored in a 2-1 win two seasons ago. But Webster today told Sky Sports: “I’ve set a few dates from his injury and had a couple of setbacks. “Obviously I didn’t meet those dates so it became even more frustrating for me. “I think now it is just about taking it day by day and just seeing how I am improving each day. AARON CONNOLLY IMPRESSES HIS MIDDLESBROUGH BOSS “Hopefully it won’t be too long but I don’t really want to put a date on it any more. “I’ve had a couple of setbacks and I don’t want that to happen again.”
James Ward Prowse
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- James Ward-Prowse describes pride while playing for England #SAINTSFC

April 6, 2022
JAMES Ward-Prowse described walking out for England as “the best feeling you can have as a player” as he expressed joy for clubmates Kyle Walker-Peters and Fraser Forster after call-ups. The Saints captain featured from the start for Gareth Southgate’s side during the 3-0 win over Ivory Coast at Wembley Stadium, unsurprisingly on set-piece duty for the Three Lions too. It was the 27-year-old’s 10th cap for his country, while there was caps one and two for the impressive Walker-Peters during the same camp – including a strong start to his career versus Switzerland. Kyle Walker-Peters has won on both of his England appearances (Pic: PA) The three England lads returned to Saints and started for Ralph Hasenhuttl in the 1-1 draw at Leeds United’s Elland Road, but the skipper spared time to discuss their international week. “Incredible, incredible. It’s the best feeling you can have as a player,” Ward-Prowse told the Daily Echo. “To walk out and represent the country was incredible. “And to be around those sorts of players and see up close how good these players are really inspires you to keep on striving to be in that environment on a more regular basis. “So yeah, a really positive week and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It’s great to see your clubmates get their opportunity as well.” James Ward-Prowse in England training (Pic: PA) While Forster did not make an appearance for Southgate, with Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope both completing 90 minutes, it was a surprise return for the giant anyway. Close friend of Ward-Prowse, Forster, returned to the England fold for the first time since 2017. His last cap came from an international friendly with Australia one year earlier. Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale and West Brom’s Sam Johnstone both withdrew from Southgate’s squad to afford Forster the late opportunity. “I think Kyle has thoroughly deserved it - he’s shown great consistency and quality this year so I’m absolutely delighted for him,” Ward-Prowse added. “And of course to see big Fras up there was great. He’s my best mate, I know he’s been through some difficult times and a little bit of frustration not playing as much but you can see the confidence and the happiness that it’s given him. Fraser Forster made a return to the England setup for the first time in five years (Pic: PA) “And he made some great saves versus Leeds to keep us in the game as well.” The England group will next meet up for a busy schedule of four UEFA Nations League matches across 10 days at the start of June, following the conclusion of the football season. Ward-Prowse and Walker-Peters will hope to return with the group, while Forster will likely have to wait on the status of those goalkeepers ahead of him if he is to land another shock call-up.
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl reveals Southampton debating balance of young or experienced transfers #SAINTSFC

April 6, 2022
RALPH Hasenhuttl explained why Saints are debating what balance of young and experienced players to bring into the squad, ahead of the summer transfer window opening. The Premier League confirmed last week the window for trading players will open on Friday, June 10, and continues until 11PM Thursday, September 1. Under new owners Sport Republic, Hasenhuttl and Saints CEO Martin Semmens had previously declared they would follow the model of signing talented young players to give their first steps. Martin Semmens with Dragan Solak and Henrik Kraft of Sport Republic (Pic: Stuart Martin) Last summer’s window was successful for this reason, after the exodus of experienced stars such as Danny Ings, Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand. Supporters had hoped that the club would complete a deal in the January window, the first under Sport Republic, but they kept the same squad of players for the second-half of the season. They could now table a first top-half finish of Hasenhuttl’s tenure, while every place in the Premier League is worth around a couple million pounds more in prize money. “We will move earlier this season, this is for sure,” Hasenhuttl confirmed to the Daily Echo, when asked if the club is already finalising plans for the summer. “I think we have a squad at the moment where we have young, potential players and they are going in a good way. Stars like Tino Livramento are set to remain with the club (Pic: PA) “The question this summer will be how much of young players we need or maybe even some, I won’t say experienced players but players that give us something different also.” Saints made eight additions to the squad in the 2021-22 summer transfer window, but only now-33-year-old Theo Walcott was older than 24 from that crop. Teenagers Tino Livramento, Thierry Small, Dynel Simeu and loanee Armando Broja were among the youngest. Meanwhile, Romain Perraud, Adam Armstrong and Lyanco were all 24-years-old at the time. Saints' 2021-22 summer signings (Pics: Southampton FC) Hasenhuttl feels the success of Livramento and Broja in particular has helped restore Saints as a club perceived to be a strong developer of talent. The opportunities presented to such youngsters can play a big hand in drawing the best teens to St Mary’s. He continued: “We have to balance it quite well and this is the goal for the summer. “In the end, we are now back known as a developing club that gives young players a chance to play. “This is definitely helpful for our transfer activities in the summer, the rest we will look very carefully and see.” The continual message from Hasenhuttl and the club has been one of moving quickly on targets, but we are yet to see how this operates in practice. Hasenhuttl and supporters will both hope to see deals concluded in mid-June, while there will also be greater clarity on the goalkeeping situation when contracts are set to expire that month.
Sean Dyche Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley boss Sean Dyche looks ahead to Everton crunch match #BURNLEYFC

April 6, 2022
BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche has admitted Everton’s relegation woes are simply an indication of the difficulty of life in the Premier League. The 19th-placed Clarets, who have lost their four most recent league fixtures, welcome Frank Lampard’s Toffees – defeated in four of their last five, but four points better off in 17th – to Turf Moor on Wednesday evening for a game which could have a major say in the fight for top-flight survival. Dyche’s side have become hardened after a series of successful survival battles but Everton, who have spent in excess of £560million on new signings in the last six years and started the campaign with Champions League winner Rafael Benitez at the helm, have not been in such serious trouble since 1998, when they stayed up only by virtue of goal difference. Asked about former midfielder Peter Reid’s suggestion that Wednesday night’s is one of the club’s biggest games in 24 years, the Burnley boss said: “It just goes to show you the strength of the Premier League when teams of even their strength, their financial strength and the feel of the club, the history of the club, if you like, are having a tough season. “It’s happened – I remember playing in an era when Manchester City dropped down two divisions. It can happen. “I suppose in a way the odd anomaly and marvel of football is that’s it’s not that easy. Everyone has challenging – or most have challenging seasons. “But it just goes to show you how tough it is, a big club, lots of players there brought in for a lot of money, a well-thought-of manager – and managers previously – and still having a tough season. “But that’s the power of the Premier League. I speak of it all the time. It’s a very, very tough division.” Dyche will once again be without influential skipper Ben Mee as he continues his recovery from a knee injury, while striker Matej Vydra has a chance of making the squad. Midfielder Aaron Lennon knows exactly what is at stake over the remaining weeks of the season, but is equally well aware that the club has seen it all before. He said: “There’s no panic in the dressing room. We know the situation that we’re in, but right now, we’re still confident. “We’ve looked at the games and we know that if we do what we can do, then we can still get out of this. It’s a difficult task, but we’re very capable as a group. “With the run in that we have, there’s still a lot of opportunities for us to go and win football games.” With Sunday’s trip to bottom-of-the-table Norwich to come, Lennon is convinced the clash could prove pivotal. He added: “It is a massive game, there’s no hiding from it. We look at the table and know how big this is. It’s at home and for us to get three points would put us in a strong position going into the weekend.”
Sean Dyche Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Sean Dyche admits all tactics strategy are useless when goals are not scored #BURNLEYFC

April 6, 2022
BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche has offered some advice to his goal-shy team as they prepare for a crunch Premier League relegation showdown with Everton. The Clarets, who are four points adrift of safety with 10 games remaining, have not scored a single goal in their last four outings – which have all ended in defeat – and have managed only six in their last 11, three of them at Brighton. Asked if he could demand any more from his forward players, Dyche said: “Yes – kick it in the net. It’s not rocket science.” The former defender admitted, however, that the task of putting the ball in the net is hardest to coach. He said: “The final moment – all managers, all coaches talk about it – the moment of execution, that’s the toughest bit to coach and manage. “You’re getting the players in the right areas, doing the right things to allow the team the chance to score goals, and then the final moment is the challenge and that’s where we want our players to stand up and take responsibility, as they have done many times. “The whole team can score a goal and the whole team can defend. “We ask a lot of our players, so it’s not just about Wout (Weghorst), Jay Rod (Jay Rodriguez) and Barnsey (Ashley Barnes) and these people, it’s about all of the team responding to score a goal.” Wednesday night’s game could prove key for both clubs with the Toffees just three points clear of the drop zone after four defeats in their last five. But Dyche is adamant that whatever happens during what is sure to be a tense 90 minutes, it will not define the entire campaign for either club. He said: “It’s a season of work, it’s at the end of the season when we look back and reflect. “The number of times I’ve heard, ‘This is a six-pointer’, ‘It’s the one that defines it’ and all the rest of it, and they invariably haven’t defined the season. “You don’t want to be losing these games, quite obviously. They don’t define the whole season, which people are suggesting they do. They can do, but you can’t look at it like that. “I certainly don’t. I’ve been in this division for long enough. We’ve got 10 games. But the immediate focus is on the next one – that’s always been the way we’ve worked.”
James Ward Prowse
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- James Ward-Prowse has warning for Southampton despite ‘maturity’ #SAINTSFC

April 5, 2022
SAINTS star James Ward-Prowse has insisted his side must not “become dependent” on his free-kick goals, after the captain’s stunning effort rescued a point at Leeds United. The 27-year-old scored his 13th direct free-kick in the Premier League to equalise shortly following the break, after Jack Harrison’s opener in the 1-1 draw at Elland Road. Ward-Prowse moved within five of England icon David Beckham’s Premier League record, after the former Manchester United set-piece specialist netted 18. The effort versus Leeds was Ward-Prowse’s third of the season, after scoring from range at Crystal Palace and Wolves. They add to his total of seven goals in 28 matches this campaign. James Ward-Prowse struck past Illan Meslier in the draw at Leeds United (Pic: PA) “Expecting it? No. I feel very confident in my ability, routine, and practices I’ve done over the years,” Ward-Prowse told the Daily Echo, speaking after the clash. We've run out of words 🤯 pic.twitter.com/lf9UxkdIhB — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) April 2, 2022 “It’s more about composing myself and allowing myself to concentrate on the technique. When it was awarded I felt confident in my ability and thankfully it came off. “I think it is a good weapon to have but we don’t want to become dependent on it. But I think it is a good strategy for us to have. The more free-kicks we win around the edge of the box, the better." Ward-Prowse is just one strike from equalling his best goals total in one Premier League season, after he scored eight last term – before missing out on the European Championship with the Three Lions. James Ward-Prowse on England duty last week (Pic: PA) “Sitting down at the start of the season, I like to make targets,” he added. “And for a midfielder to get maybe 10 goals a season is a good return, it’s a good contribution to the team. “So of course, it would be nice to reach those targets and keep improving year on year. But I’d sacrifice that if it means we can break into the top 10 and finish the season well.” The point at Leeds stopped a rot of three consecutive league defeats for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, after losses at St Mary’s to both Newcastle and relegation-threatened Watford. It keeps Saints within one point of ninth-place in the table, as the Austrian boss targets a first top-half finish of his tenure. “It feels like a new chapter in the season for us, coming off the international break,” Ward-Prowse insisted. Saints ended a run of four defeats in all competitions (Pic: PA) “Nine games before today to finish strong and reach that goal of finishing in the top 10. We came to a really hostile atmosphere, the fans make it an incredible place to play a game of football. “We rode our luck a little bit in the first half but we felt we were in the game at half-time and it was just a case of getting that chance and putting it away in the second half.” He continued: “That’s the maturity that we’ve gained this season. Coming here last season we lost 3-0 and we didn’t really manage the game well. “To come away to a tough place and be a goal down, get back in it and not give any more points away I think was really important. I think it’s a good point when we look back at the end of the season and a good foundation now to go into the next few games.”