Liam Cooper Leeds
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Liam Cooper calls Brighton match massive for the club #LUFC #BHAFC

May 13, 2022
LEEDS defender Liam Cooper believes the match against Albion on Sunday is "massive" for the club. Albion travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds as they look to cement their place in the top half of the Premier League following a brilliant run of form that has yielded 14 points from the previous 21 available. The run includes impressive wins over Arsenal, Tottenham, Wolves and Manchester United. Leeds on the other hand have lost their previous three games and are winless in four, a set of results that have left the Yorkshire side dwelling in the relegation zone, one point from safety. Last time out Leeds were comfortably beaten by Chelsea 3-0 and defender Cooper has admitted that a result against Albion is needed to help with the fight for survival. Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku scored the third goal against Leeds He told LUTV: “We have to pick the lads up, we’ve got a massive game at home at the weekend. “We all need to pull together and make it one hell of an atmosphere here at the weekend, like the fans always do, and we have to produce on the pitch as well. “It’s a massive game, let’s make a right good go of it. From our point of view, my message to the lads is that we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, we’re in a fight and we know that. “We’ve got to go and be positive, approach the game and get a result in any way possible. “It doesn’t have to be pretty, it doesn’t have to be nice, we have to go and do it the Leeds way and hopefully we can do that at the weekend.” Albion have a good record against Leeds since the Yorkshire side was promoted last season, winning twice and drawing once.
Graham Potter Brighton
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Brighton attacker heaps praises on boss for ‘best season’ and admits new role enjoyment #BHAFC

May 12, 2022
LEANDRO TROSSARD has praised Albion manager Graham Potter and admitted that it is "lovely" to work for him. The Belgian attacker is enjoying his best season since joining the club three seasons ago from KRC Genk. Trossard has scored eight goals this season and assisted three more in his 33 Premier League appearances this season, including two assists and a goal in Albion's 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United on Saturday. Brighton forward Leandro Trossard The 27-year-old believes the club has developed under Potter since his arrival at the club and argues that the club are having its best season. He said: "Yeah it is lovely. It is my third year with him now and you can see how we have developed as a team. "It is our best season yet and if we could act like this every single week we can do special things with this team. "Obviously I work on that every day. We had some not so good spells during the season and it is hard for me. "I am enjoying it and the gaffer has helped as well by saying to just keep believing and if he shows the confidence in me I will give it back. "That is what I am doing." Trossard has had to develop his game with Potter as the manager tends to utilise players in different positions and recently the traditional attacker has had to play as a wing-back, but it has not phased him. When asked if the wing-back role was his new favourite position, Trossard said: "Favourite? I wouldn't say that but if the gaffer wants me to play there I don't mind to play there. "I like to be on my pitch enjoying my game and it has worked the last couple of weeks."
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ambitious Thierry Small ‘frustrated’ with lack of opportunity but will assess summer before pursuing loan #SAUNTSFC

May 11, 2022
AMBITIOUS Thierry Small is frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunity in his debut season at Saints but will assess his role this summer before considering a loan move, the Daily Echo understands. The talented 17-year-old wants to cement a first-team role at St Mary’s and will only consider a loan elsewhere as an option if it transpires he will not be involved, even after a pre-season under his belt. Former Everton starlet Small is not expected to be short of potential takers for a temporary spell elsewhere but would be looking to stake a claim at a Championship or top-level League One side. Small did not have a pre-season coming into this campaign with Saints, due to his situation at Goodison Park, and thus started behind on his match-fitness. Read more The youngster has had a positive first season at Saints when viewed through a normal lense, training with the first-team every week, starring at under-23 level and impressing coaches in training. Saints defender Thierry Small has been named on Premier League benches for Saints (Pic: Stuart Martin) But as exhibited by legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti giving a 16-year-old Small his senior Toffees debut last season, he has big potential to fill and is well ahead of his age. Those close to Small understand there is no substitute for regular and meaningful senior minutes, and the defender is focussed on impressing the Saints hierarchy. Small was given his first-team debut by Ralph Hasenhuttl in the FA Cup fourth round victory over Coventry City but the culture-shock of the occasion got the better of him, and he was substituted at half-time. "This tested him, definitely. He was very nervous, he is very young and this was a big crowd,” the Austrian said at the time. The club are aware of Small's ambitions and wants. Thierry Small in FA Cup action (Pic: Stuart Martin) “This was maybe not the perfect moment to start but I wanted to see how brave he is and what he could make (of it). He had a few good actions up front but in the defence he was a little bit shy. "This is not possible in the FA Cup, you have to be there immediately. He will learn this. There is still a lot to improve but he will improve." Small finished his Premier League 2 season for Dave Horseman’s B team with the winner in a 1-0 victory over Sunderland, in front of supporters at St Mary’s. The ACL injury sustained by Tino Livramento, which will keep the 19-year-old sidelined for the rest of 2022, likely ends Kyle Walker-Peters’ stint as a left-back in Hasenhuttl’s side. While Hasenhuttl told the Daily Echo they may pursue a new signing to replace Livramento in the summer transfer window, it currently leaves Saints with just two fit senior full-backs. Jake Vokins, 22, and Kayne Ramsay, 21, could also return from their loan spells at Ross County. Small wants to showcase himself to the country, and will look to find a solution which ensures he continues his progression and feeds his appetite. 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 take my word for it - subscribe here to see for yourself. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group - Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated Facebook group - Hampshire Court and Crime News
Frank Lampard
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Frank Lampard, Jesse Marsch and Mike Jackson on Premier League relegation battle #LUFC #EVERTONFC #BURNLEYFC

May 11, 2022
THE Premier League relegation battle looks set to go down to the wire heading into the final stages of the season. With Norwich and Watford already relegated, it is between Burnley, Everton and Leeds for the final place in the bottom three. Everton and Leeds are both in action tomorrow night, going up against Watford and Chelsea respectively. The Yorkshire club currently find themselves in the drop zone, but they are only behind Burnley on goal difference. Meanwhile, the Toffees are up to 16th following their 2-1 win at Leicester over the weekend. But what have the managers said about the relegation battle and their sides’ chances of beating the drop? Frank Lampard "As much as we enjoyed the weekend because it got us out of the relegation zone with games to go, it is very dangerous to relax on that,” said Lampard. “The only message is to finish the job and it is a tough job, we have to expect the worst everywhere else and everyone else to win but we can control ourselves. "Two wins back-to-back was a big thing for us to break. We have seen with Burnley how a run of wins can change the face of it very quickly so that was important to us." Jesse Marsch "Internally, we know we still have a good group to manage these situations,” said Marsch. “We knew coming into these three matches it was going to be very difficult to pick up points. “We still have too much to play for. Our focus is on controlling every moment. Credit to Burnley and Everton. They have also fought for their lives. We will do the same." Mike Jackson “You’ve got to know how to get through setbacks. I have a process and the group will have a process of how we move forward. It takes a bit of time,” said Jackson. “You’re going to get bits like that, it’s just human nature. They’re not all of a sudden going to become bulletproof. “But they’ve proved in the four games before they’ve gone through everything – they’ve come from behind, they’ve got pegged back against West Ham. “They’ve held on to a lead and now they’ve lost a game. We focus on the next one.”
Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley interim boss Mike Jackson won’t get too downhearted by first loss amidst relegation battle #BURNLEYFC

May 10, 2022
BURNLEY interim Mike Jackson insisted nothing would change in his approach after the Clarets suffered their first defeat on his watch to renew relegation fears at Turf Moor. Jackson had taken 10 points from a possible 12 to lift Burnley out of the bottom three but they were second best in a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday as frustration and nerves returned to the terraces. Ex-Claret Danny Ings fired Villa in front early on and the result seemed inevitable from the moment Emiliano Buendia doubled the lead just after the half-hour mark. Ollie Watkins’ header at the start of the second half made it 3-0 before Maxwel Cornet pulled one back in stoppage time. Now Jackson, who stepped up from the under-23s after Sean Dyche was sacked last month, must find a way to restore belief ahead of difficult away games at Tottenham and Villa again – and hope they are still in the fight when they finish the season at home to Newcastle on May 22. “Since I was 17 I’ve been involved in football and it’s part of the world you live in, you’ve got to know how to get through setbacks, otherwise you don’t stay in it, you don’t play in it, you don’t coach in it,” Jackson said. “It’s part and parcel of it, otherwise you’d win every game and it would be boring. I have a process and the group will have a process of how we move forward. It takes a bit of time. “Just like you enjoy the night when you win, sometimes when you lose you suffer a bit in the night-time and then you get yourselves ready to go. “It keeps you focused and tuned right in because you know what you need to do.” Jackson expects to learn in the next couple of days the extent of the hamstring problem that forced James Tarkowski off shortly before Watkins scored Villa’s third – a potentially key injury with captain Ben Mee still out. In a week when it emerged Burnley’s owners must immediately repay a “significant” proportion of a £65million loan taken out during their takeover in December 2020 in the event of relegation, nerves are jangling for fans, but Jackson said it was different inside the dressing room. “When you’re in it, you’re totally focused,” he said. “I don’t think it’s nerves. When you’re in football, you have a bit of a thing in your stomach and it sits there when you’re a player and it sits there when you’re a coach and it means you’re ready, you’re alert and you’re focused. “Has it been nervy at this stage of the season? You’re going to get bits like that, it’s just human nature, they’re not all of a sudden going to become bulletproof. “But they’ve proved in the four games before they’ve gone through everything – they’ve come from behind, they’ve got pegged back against West Ham, they’ve held on to a lead and now they’ve lost a game. We focus on the next one.”
Stuart Armstrong Southampton
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Stuart Armstrong issues apology to travelling Southampton fans #SAINTSFC

May 9, 2022
STUART Armstrong apologised to Saints fans for the 3-0 defeat to Brentford, admitting: “It must have been a hard watch.” The Scottish international played 83 minutes of the dismal visit to London but could not inspire his struggling team to end their poor run of form. Easy goals conceded to Pontus Jansson, Yoane Wissa and Kristoffer Ajer meant it is just one win the last 10 Premier League matches for Saints. Some sections of the visiting supporters aimed chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ towards manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, as the contest came to a close. Armstrong, speaking after the match, issued a message to the supporters who had travelled to cheer on their side. Kristoffer Ajer scores the third goal at Brentford Community Stadium (Pic: PA) "Apologies to the fans who came and supported and stayed to the end and kept singing all the way through. It must have been a hard watch,” he told the club website. “Really poor. There’s not a lot to say. First 15 minutes we had a good foothold, created a few chances and felt comfortable in possession. The problem is we don’t score, and they go up the pitch and do, two in quick succession. So poor and at this level it shouldn’t happen. The 30-year-old continued: “We found ourselves 2-0 down and tried to get back into the game, controlled and ad a lot of possession round the box but no real opportunity to pull one back.” “It’s a tough one, hard work is hard work, we always work hard. We need something more, our form has been very poor recently and everyone knows that. “It’s frustrating, everyone would love more consistency. The good spells seem a long time ago now.” 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 take my word for it - subscribe here to see for yourself. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group - Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated Facebook group - Hampshire Court and Crime News
Frank Lampard
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Frank Lampard launches Hasenhuttl defence after ‘sacked’ chanting #SAINTSFC #EVERTONFC

May 9, 2022
BRENTFORD manager Thomas Frank said chants aimed at Ralph Hasenhuttl from his own supporters are “not nice” after the Austrian has done a “top job” at Saints. A section of the travelling Saints support chanted ‘ you don’t know what you’re doing’ and ‘sacked in the morning’ at Hasenhuttl during the 3-0 defeat to Bees. The singing followed impressive noise and support from the St Mary’s faithful throughout the Premier League contest, which saw Saints slip to back-to-back losses. With just two matches of the season remaining, they face finishing 15th or even lower – if teams fighting relegation below them pick up more points. Asked for the Dane’s reaction to the chanting, Frank said: “I didn’t notice but no that is not nice. I think Ralph has done a top job at Southampton. Brentford manager Thomas Frank is enjoying his first Premier League season (Pic: PA) “I like how he is very, very clear in the way he plays. He has managed to create a clear identity and I think in the last three/four seasons, he has created some incredible moments for Southampton, with some fantastic results. “I think if you are bottom-half club, in that bracket, if you stay in the Premier League that is a top job and then if in one of the years you can do even better or play a specific brand of exciting football then you do a good job.” Back in January this year, Saints hammered Brentford 4-1 at St Mary’s with new owners Sport Republic in attendance for their first Premier League match. They would go on to reach as high as ninth in the table and were just two points behind Tottenham Hotspur, before this run of one win in 10 has dashed optimism across the club. Adam Armstrong had a goal disallowed for offside at Brentford (Pic: PA) “Every game is a different story. We don’t know what will be written in that blank sheet of paper before the game,” Frank added. “I think it’s two teams that are doing a top job in many, many ways. I knew that down there (St Mary’s), it was supposed to be an even game. Today was supposed to be another even game. “The first game they well deserved a win, this one we well deserved to win. Before the game we were both on 40 points, I think it’s two teams doing a very good job.” Asked to assess how he masterminded such a swing in results between the two Saints games, Frank responded: “I would say that something we were aware of that we didn’t handle that well was letting them produce too many crosses, we knew that we did that well. “They are good at set-pieces but we are also strong with set-pieces, and we knew that the transitions were an area because they are quite expansive and we could potentially take advantage there. “I think that’s the same with us, we look at their defensive shape and they look at our defensive shape. We try to make a few adjustments to our gameplan on the offensive side of set pieces and I’m very pleased that we were quite successful there. “Southampton started better than us in the first 10 minutes but we know that goals change games, and it certainly did that.” 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 take my word for it - subscribe here to see for yourself. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group - Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated Facebook group - Hampshire Court and Crime News