OptiNews - Friday 12 to Thursday 18 January 2018

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/01/2018 17:38:46

| | Southampton’s £16.2m-rated wing wizard would suit Crystal Palace down to the ground | | Where football transfer …THETRANSFERTAVERN |
| | Saints hold more talks to complete deal for eight-goal strikerREADSOUTHAMPTON |
| | Southampton joined by Inter Milan in race to sign 28-year-old targetFOOTBALLFANCAST |

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Nitwik Football

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| Aubameyang makes decision about his next club | The striker has already held talks with new club! 18-01-2018 |
| Chelsea’s move for top target ends abruptly | Conte was keen on signing him! 18-01-2018 |

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| Manchester United eye surprise move for former Real Madrid star17 hours ago |

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Video: Long speaks ahead of Spurs

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Watch as Southampton striker Shane Long reflects on Watford, his own personal form and looks ahead to the visit of Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

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New dates set for Southampton Senior Cup quarter-finals

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REARRANGED dates have been set for the three outstanding Southampton Senior Cup quarter-finals.

Saints Under-23s are already through to the last four after beating Winchester City 3-0 last week.

The other three ties, which had been scheduled for this week, were all rained off.

Lymington Town will attempt to get their match against Netley Central Sports played this coming Tuesday (January 23).

The clash between holders Sholing and Hamble Club will follow on Tuesday, February 6, and the Team Solent v Blackfield & Langley tie is in the diary for Monday, January 12 at Test Park.

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Long: Confidence the key for Saints

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The Irishman’s commitment to the cause will never be questioned and that characteristic determination has earned the striker a starting berth in each of his team’s last five matches in all competitions.

With an important run of fixtures on the way, Long is keen to continue reaping the rewards of a renewed self-belief and the confidence of the coach.

“Playing every week makes a big difference to me; knowing that I have the trust of the manager in what I do for the team is really important. Not just starting matches, but playing the full 90 minutes.”

The 30-year-old was at the centre of the majority of his side’s good work at Vicarage Road at the weekend, a sign that he may be finding some form after an admittedly difficult 2017.

Just in time for a critical period in Saints’ season.

“I feel like I am playing well at the moment and getting into my stride; I’ve always worked hard for the team so it was a boost to have had a hand in our goals of late.

“I’ve been in the game a long time and as much as I’d like to say not scoring before Palace didn’t affect me, it did. Chances were coming my way and maybe I was overthinking things when it should be automatic.

“I do well to hide it but it was a relief to see that goal go in. My approach to games wasn’t changing but when the ball isn’t hitting the net, it’s hard not to let it enter your mind.”

The Irishman has been in the game long enough to know that what matters most however is results, and while he sees good in what Saints have done in patches this term, is under no illusions that improvements are urgent.

“We’ve been ahead in a lot of games and done some good things this season; we need to know that when we go a goal up, we have the quality to go on and make sure we win the game.

“We deserved to beat Watford but we shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position even before the equaliser.

“From past experience it needs to happen soon. We’re still approaching things in the right way; we’re training hard, we have trust in each other and nobody is pointing fingers.

“We expect better from each other; that is more than half the battle when you find yourself in a situation like this.”

Looking forwards, Tottenham, Watford and Brighton all visit before the end of the month; three opportunities to boost spirits around St Mary’s, both on and off the pitch.

“We can feel the frustration of the fans and they will play a big part for us in the next few weeks.

“For supporters and players alike, it’s tough to come to each game and go home feeling dissatisfied. We’ve two home league games coming up, imagine what six points would do for us.

“Obviously it’s up to us to do better on the pitch and give them something to cheer but as long as they know we are giving our all and we want it just as much as they do.”

Spurs are next on Sunday.

Underdog status has aided Saints at times so far - most notably in promising, determined performances at the Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford – and Long is looking for more of the same this weekend against a “very good” Spurs side.

“We’re under no illusions; Spurs are a very good side. We gave them too much space in the game at Wembley so we know we will need to be at our best to get a result.

“Being underdogs has helped us at times this season, it took a last-minute goal for Man City to beat us, United couldn’t break us down. We’ve done well against the bigger teams when the pressure is off us and it’s more on them to get the win than us.”

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READER LETTER: Watford player should apologise to Saints over handball goal

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WHERE is the honour of the player who handled the ball against Saints last weekend to put it in the net?

You can see that the linesman had a clear view, yet no flag, and why did the ref not speak to them both? It could be very costly to Southampton at the end of the season.

The player should be charged with unprofessional conduct but he’ll get get away with it.

Has he no self-respect? He should at least admit to it and apologise to Southampton FC.

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Paul Merson’s predictions: Palace to shock Arsenal, Chelsea to edge Brighton

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Paul Merson is back with another round of his Premier League predictions - how will he fare this week?

Merse enjoyed a successful weekend last time out, correctly predicting a Liverpool win over unbeaten Man City, as well as two perfect scores in Bournemouth 2-1 Arsenal and West Brom 2-0 Brighton. He also earned a further four correct results.

But who is the Magic Man tipping to win? Read on to find out…

I was at Chelsea on Wednesday night, and I know it’s not their first team, but they look devoid of confidence. I watched Chelsea against Leicester last weekend, and the Foxes were by far the better team in that game, and were unfortunate not to win.

Brighton are decent at home. There’s no Alvaro Morata, and I watched Michy Batshuayi on Wednesday and thought: “Go on, work hard, and you’ve got every chance to put pressure on the manager!” He wasn’t even interested. I think this is a hard game, but I’m just tipping Chelsea.

Southampton looked a lot better than Watford in large parts last weekend, but still managed to draw the game 2-2 when they should have won by four or five.

Make no mistake, Saints are in big, big trouble. They’ve won just one in 14, and that was against David Unsworth’s Everton.

I don’t see anything put a Tottenham win, Harry Kane can’t stop scoring, and their movement is brilliant. I can’t see Shane Long causing the back line of Tottenham many problems.

Swansea have done alright recently under Carlos Carvalhal. I was shocked when he got the job, and he was probably shocked himself. But he’s done what he had to do so far.

He got a good result at Newcastle, where they couldn’t lose, and then they beat Wolves in the FA Cup.

When clubs change managers, all they ask for is a reaction, that’s why they change them. He’s achieved that so far. This is another hard game, and I can’t see anything but a Liverpool win. But I think Swansea will improve as the season goes on.

Assuming there’s no Alexis Sanchez, I’m trying to make a case for Arsenal winning here. I don’t know where they’re going to hurt Palace. If you look at the Palace forwards to the Arsenal forwards, it’s chalk and cheese.

I’m going for a Palace win. I know people will say: “Oh you’re going against Arsenal again,” but I really can’t make a case for them without Sanchez! Alexandre Lacazette doesn’t look like he will score in a month of Sundays, Danny Welbeck is not a winger, Granit Xhaka is not going to score you a goal, and no matter how good Jack Wilshere is playing he’s not going to be the one who scores you the goals.

They let in goals for fun, and that’s where Palace are dangerous. Arsenal will have to have a go at Palace and won’t be able to deal with them on the break!

I think Burnley have hit a bit of a brick wall. They’ve had some hard fixtures of late, and have been a tad unlucky. I think Sean Dyche said the defeat at Palace was an even game, I don’t think it was that even. Palace had better chances than Burnley in the game.

I think Man Utd are just solid. I just think they won’t allow Burnley anything, they’re very hard to beat. They’ll be Mourinho efficient.

Good result for West Brom last week, it was coming, and I think they’ve been a bit unlucky recently, not getting the results but making the chances.

I think Everton have a little bit of a pick-me-up signing Theo Walcott, the crowd will be buzzing. I can see why Everton have gone for him, they’ve needed some pace for a while. And if you get over 100 goals for Arsenal, that’s no mean feat.

Leicester’s draw at Chelsea was one of the best times I’ve seen them play, even when they won the Premier League. When they won the title, let’s be honest, it was sit back, sit back, sit back, counter-attack, score, then sit back, sit back.

They literally took the game to Chelsea on Saturday, and could have had five goals in the first 20 minutes! They were outstanding.

I know Watford had a fightback second half against Southampton when Troy Deeney came on, but in the first half they were all over the place

Paul Lambert’s first game in charge. If you could pick a game, this may be it. I know there are no easy games, but Huddersfield haven’t got the greatest away record and have just been battered by West Ham.

I was a bit shocked by the Lambert appointment, but I’m pleased for him. I think he was too nice at Villa, with the Randy Lerner situation, he backed the owner and didn’t complain, instead of saying the board are giving me nothing.

I think he has learned from that situation, and I’m going to go for a good start for him. It’ll be a cagey game, nonetheless.

These two teams are like a bag of revels. You see West Ham go to Huddersfield and rip them apart, then they take 120 minutes to beat Shrewsbury at home.

Then you see Bournemouth beat Arsenal, then go to Wigan to form a cup run, and get turned over. Who knows, they could have gone far in the FA Cup. Don’t make excuses about Bournemouth having to stay up, Wigan have got their own priorities trying to get out of League One!

I don’t know how Bournemouth could stop Arnautovic, so I’m going for a home win, as he makes the difference.

I don’t think Man City are going to come up against a team like Liverpool for the rest of the season, particularly in those 20 minutes in the second half.

They’re a bit downbeat at Newcastle at the moment; the takeover failing, they needed to beat Swansea but didn’t, I think it’s a bit subdued there. I think they just want to get this game out of the way, and make sure it’s not a huge defeat.

I think it’s a case of leaving without many injuries and looking at how other teams got on below them.

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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Please be aware the #SaintsFC Ticket Office will be closed at the earlier time of 4pm tomorrow for staff training.… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/954052014945714176

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Favourites: 6

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/01/2018 18:38:59

| | ‘Who is this clown?’ - Tweets that greeted Poch at Southampton 5 years ago todayFOOTBALLLONDON |
| | ‘Stinks of desperation’, ‘Uninspiring’ – Southampton fans unconvinced by reported transfer target | | Where football …THETRANSFERTAVERN |
| | Paul Merson predicts Southampton v TottenhamTHISISFUTBOLCOM |

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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

:closed_book:

#SaintsFC’s Sofiane Boufal is our programme cover star for Sunday’s #PL clash with #THFC:

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/01/2018 19:39:11

| | ‘Order new manager’ – Angered Southampton fans vent their frustrations after pointless club post | | Where football …THETRANSFERTAVERN |
|

| ‘Time is ticking’ … Southampton fans running out of patience, but not just with the managerFOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | TOTHOTFC |

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Read Southampton

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| Southampton remain keen to land Championship central defender | Southampton are still reportedly holding an interest in Leeds United central defender Pontus Jansson. It’s claimed … 18-01-2018 |

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| Saints hold more talks to complete deal for eight-goal striker19 hours ago |
| Southampton midfielder opens up about his future plans2 days ago |
| Saints board growing concerned by Pellegrino’s performance2 days ago |
| Theo Walcott snubs Southampton to join Everton2 days ago |
| Saints set to keep striker in January but Bologna want to land him still in the summer2 days ago |
| Southampton lodge enquiry for French international striker2 days ago |
| Serie A club in contact with Gabbiadini’s agent over January move3 days ago |
| Southampton still locked in talks with Monaco over move for striker3 days ago |
| Southampton face competition from Swansea for Argentina international3 days ago |

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Blogs – Fresh Saints

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| Pellegrino v Pochettino | As if things weren’t hard enough already for Southampton, who find themselves without a Premier League win in ten, … 18-01-2018 |

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| The same old story4 days ago |
| Preview: Watford v Southampton6 days ago |
| Preview: Fulham v Southampton13 days ago |
| Two good, two bad: Southampton v Crystal Palace15 days ago |
| A few thoughts on Ralph Krueger’s break from silence15 days ago |
| Podcast: Talking Virgil Van Dijk with Anfield Index19 days ago |
| There’s no room for boos and abuse at St Mary’s20 days ago |
| Two good, two bad: Tottenham v Southampton22 days ago |
| Mauricio Pellegrino: the final straw23 days ago |

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/01/2018 20:39:15

| | TOTHOTFC |
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| It’s time to bring £13.5m-rated Saints ace back into the starting XI for Spurs clash - agree?FOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | Premier League In Focus – Southampton vs Tottenham PreviewTHESTATSZONE |
| | Agent Won’t Talk Up Pontus Jansson Replacing Virgil van Dijk at SouthamptonINSIDEFUTBOLCOM |
| | Bookies reckon these Premier League bosses are at threatBIRMINGHAMMAIL |

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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Take a look at what’s inside this weekend’s SAINTS magazine, for #SaintsFC’s meeting with #THFC in the #PL: http://sfcne.ws/ProgTH1718

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Premier League predictions: Lawro v Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz

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Manchester United needed a last-gasp Jesse Lingard goal to rescue a draw against Burnley at Old Trafford in December - how will they fare at Turf Moor on Saturday?

BBC Sport football expert Mark Lawrenson: "Burnley’s poor run continued with their defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday, and they are now without a win in six league games.

“A late goal cost them a point against Liverpool too, and they have not necessarily been playing that badly, but the problem for Sean Dyche’s side is that they have got to get out of their downward spiral.”

Lawro is going for a 2-0 United win - do you agree? You can make your own predictions now, take on Lawro and other fans, create your own league and try to make it to the top of the table by playing the new-look BBC Sport Predictor game.

Lawro scored 40 points in week 23, which leaves him in 3,518th place out of more than 350,000 users.

He will be making a prediction for all 380 top-flight games this season, against a variety of guests.

This week, Lawro takes on Pete Wentz, bass player with rock band Fall Out Boy.

Wentz claims - slightly tongue in cheek - to be an expert on the Premier League but he does know his stuff about the sport back in the United States.

Drogba also plays for the Arizona team in the United Soccer League, which is the second tier of the US football pyramid.

“With Drogba the interesting thing is that he controls his own destiny,” Wentz explained.

"If he wins and goes to the play-offs, then that makes the team successful and he gets to move up.

“I think that is an interesting way to own a team - to be the guy who can literally change the fate of the team.”

Wentz also enjoys watching the US at World Cup finals - but will not get the chance this summer after they failed to qualify for the first time since 1986.

He told BBC Sport: "I only really follow football super-hardcore during the World Cup - but maybe not this World Cup!

“Our women’s team is really good, though. Really strong and awesome.”

Wentz also enjoys watching footage of Lionel Messi at his best, explaining: "Sometimes late at night I will watch YouTubes of Messi when he goes down the whole field and just embarrasses everyone.

“It is kind of mesmerising to watch that kind of thing.”

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

All kick-offs 15:00 GMT unless otherwise stated.

Chelsea are without Alvaro Morata and Pedro, who are both suspended after being sent off against in the FA Cup against Norwich on Wednesday night.

The Blues have lacked a cutting edge up front recently anyhow, and could only draw against Leicester last weekend - in fact, the Foxes should have beaten them.

Michy Batshuayi has struggled for form too but I still cannot understand why Chelsea are supposedly in for Andy Carroll - he is always getting injured.

So I think Brighton have got a decent chance of getting something out of this game, especially because they are at home.

On the road, the Seagulls have not scored a goal in six matches but, at the Amex Stadium, they have only been beaten once since their opening-day defeat by Manchester City, although they have drawn a lot of games.

Chris Hughton’s side have been dragged into the relegation scrap and the last few days of the transfer window may help decide whether they stay up or not.

Like most other teams down there, they are trying to sign a striker. If they get the right man they might stay in the Premier League, but good luck with that, because everyone is looking for the same players.

Pete’s prediction: There is a part of me that wants to say Brighton because I have a lot of friends from Brighton and I want to give them a shout-out - but I do think Chelsea are going to win. 0-3

It sounds like Arsenal are going to have a busy few days before the transfer window closes on 31 January.

With Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among their targets, it seems that Sven Mislintat, the Gunners’ new head of recruitment who used to work at the German club, has been busy too.

Theo Walcott has left already, Alexis Sanchez will be going, and Olivier Giroud could also leave as part of the Aubameyang deal.

Bordeaux striker Malcom and Manchester United forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan are the other players being linked with the Gunners.

I can see why they are trying to revamp their attack, but even if those deals go through, they have still got a soft centre.

It remains to be seen what they do about that part of their team, as opposed to players who go forward.

West Brom defender Jonny Evans would improve their defence but Manchester City are the favourites to get him and, if that is the case, then he will end up there.

Crystal Palace will be a tough nut for Arsenal to crack but I think Arsene Wenger’s side will manage it.

The Eagles have only lost one of their past 12 league games - but that defeat came at home to the Gunners at the end of December.

Pete’s prediction: Crystal Palace is a cool name but I think Arsenal are going to take this one. 2-1

Alexis Sanchez could have joined Manchester United in time to feature in this game but, even if he hasn’t, his impending arrival will lift the rest of the United team.

I don’t think it matters where Sanchez fits into the Arsenal side - he can play anywhere across the front three, so I don’t think that will be an issue.

Throughout this whole transfer saga, his playing ability has never really been an issue, but we now know that money is a major concern.

Pete’s prediction: Who? Burleme? Burn-ley? Ah, I knew that one! I would say that Manchester United are going to win. 0-2

Everton have just signed Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott to bolster their attack, and they are obviously trying really hard to improve what has been a problem area for them.

With Walcott, I am not sure where he is going to play, and it is the kind of move where he could kick on or it could all go very wrong. It will be interesting to find out.

West Brom won last weekend, for the first time in the Premier League since the end of August, but they still need to add to their squad to boost their chances of staying up.

In fairness to Baggies boss Alan Pardew, he says he needs to know ASAP if Jonny Evans is going to leave so he knows how much he has to spend, but it is probably safe to assume he wants to sign some forward players in the way Everton have done.

As far as the game goes, it is Sam Allardyce’s 1,000th as a manager, which is a great achievement.

His Everton side are yet to pick up a point in 2018 so far but I don’t see them losing this one, and a draw is probably a decent result for West Brom too.

Pete’s prediction: Everton, yeah! Tim Howard played for Everton, right? For some reason I have heard about West Brom a lot, but because of Tim Howard, I would say Everton. Does he even play for them still? Ah, no, he doesn’t anymore.

Still, I would say 1-0 to Everton in penalty kicks - which is so stupid to say - but don’t doubt my expertise!

Watford’s only win in their past 10 league games came when they fought back from 1-0 down to beat Leicester in December.

The Hornets snatched a late draw at Southampton last week when they got away with Abdoulaye Doucoure’s handball goal in the 90th minute.

But otherwise their form has been very poor, which is why I am backing Leicester here.

The Foxes had a game in midweek but their FA Cup replay against Fleetwood was not exactly testing for them and their players should all be pretty fresh.

Pete’s prediction: Leicester have an awesome story, but are they good now? Let’s go with Leicester to win, because I love the underdog story. 2-1

Stoke begin life under new manager Paul Lambert, whose appointment does not seem to have brought much enthusiasm from Potters fans.

Let’s wait and see how he gets on, though, before we write him off. His record is actually pretty decent and although he struggled a bit at the end of his time with Aston Villa, he did not get much support financially.

So I can understand why he got the job, and he would not be the first manager that the Twitterati do not approve of but actually ends up doing better than they expect.

If Lambert can sort out the dressing room he has a chance of keeping them up. I get the impression that all is not well there, which is why they have under-achieved this season, but he will need the entire squad behind him.

This is a good game for him to start with because Huddersfield are on the slide. They were hammered at home by West Ham last time out and have not won any of their past six matches.

It is funny that the fortunes of the promoted clubs - the Terriers, Brighton and Newcastle - have mirrored each other for much of the season. They have all had spells where they have picked up points, but have also had some lean times.

All three of them were in mid-table at the start of November but they are just starting to slip towards the relegation zone now, and there are reasons to worry about all three of them.

Pete’s prediction: I have no idea about either of these two teams, but I am saying Stoke to win. 3-1

West Ham had to work hard to see off Shrewsbury in the FA Cup in midweek but things are going much more smoothly for them in the Premier League.

The Hammers look a completely different animal to the team that struggled under Slaven Bilic at the start of the season and the atmosphere has changed completely at London Stadium too. The doom and gloom has been lifted.

They are looking for new players but they are doing it from a position of strength rather than as a struggling side. That will help them when it comes to recruiting players and I am expecting them to push on now.

Bournemouth had a disappointing defeat in the FA Cup in midweek - they did not look ready for a wet Wednesday in Wigan.

But they are also on a good run in the league and they showed with their win over Arsenal that they are certainly capable of climbing out of trouble.

The worry is more that they keep on dropping into a perilous state in the first place, and Eddie Howe has got to be careful.

There was a bit of controversy over the Cherries’ late equaliser when these sides drew 3-3 in December and Moyes might feel he owes them one. I think he will get a bit of revenge for that on Saturday.

If Liverpool showed other teams the way to beat Manchester City last weekend with their high-energy and attack-minded tactics, I cannot see Rafa Benitez following that template.

I don’t think he will be studying the DVD of that match too much. He probably didn’t even watch it.

Newcastle are far more likely to attempt the kind of defensive shut-out they tried when City beat them 1-0 at St James’ Park at the turn of the year.

I don’t see it working this time.

City will put last week’s defeat down to the fact that Liverpool absolutely swarmed all over them but I doubt their manager Pep Guardiola is going to beat himself up about it too much, and this game is perfect for them to bounce back.

I don’t think missing out on Alexis Sanchez is too big a blow for City either.

I quite like the way they dealt with the situation too. For a team that has spent hundreds of millions of pounds recently, it was quite refreshing.

Of course they could afford him for fun but the goalposts got moved so they said “he would have been a nice addition but this one doesn’t work for us. If you can get what you want elsewhere, then good luck”.

Pete’s prediction: I like Newcastle a lot but I think City will win. 3-1

Tottenham are ticking along nicely at the moment - since their defeat by Manchester City in December, they have taken 13 points out of a possible 15 and a number of their players have hit form.

Southampton, in contrast, have not won any of their past 10 games but they should have beaten Watford last time out and I was impressed by how calmly Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino reacted to the Hornets’ 90th-minute handball equaliser.

Pellegrino badly needs a win soon, because he might not get too much longer to turn things around - but I don’t see him getting it this weekend.

Whatever happens, I hope Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino gets a good reception at St Mary’s Stadium, where he did a fabulous job. He deserves some appreciation.

Pete’s prediction: I have no idea about this one at all but I feel very predictive right now, so I will say Southampton. 2-0

After beating Manchester City last weekend, Liverpool cannot afford any slip-ups.

It has happened to them in this sort of game in the past - the opposition has sat in and made it difficult for them, and the Reds have only ended up getting a draw.

Jurgen Klopp’s side need a solid performance and three points, however they find a way through.

Swansea will try to restrict them, of course. That is fair enough - if you do not have the same amount of firepower as Liverpool then it is not really worth trying to take them on.

But I think Liverpool will get the job done one way or another.

Pete’s prediction: I would say Liverpool - they have a cool song. 1-4

From the last round of Premier League games, Lawro got four correct results, with no perfect scores, from 10 matches for a total of 40 points.

He was up against NBA stars Dario Saric & Aron Baynes, and was beaten by both of them.

Saric got five correct results, with no perfect scores, for a tally of 50, while Baynes also got five correct results, but with two perfect scores. That gave him a total of 110 points.

  • Shows weeks where Lawro had more than one guest, and only the highest score contributed to the guest total.

Lawro’s worst score: 40 points (week four v Umenyiora and Bell, week five v Non Stanford, week 21 v Darren Campbell and week 23 v Saric and Baynes)

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/01/2018 21:39:29

| | ‘In training all my shots were going in!’ - Long relieved 325-day goal drought is behind himTHE42 |
| | Should Southampton drop Carrillo interest and go for Gameiro?HEREISTHECITY |
| | Agent of Leeds United’s Pontus Jansson dismisses fresh Southampton speculationHEREISTHECITY |

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

SAINTS: Tottenham edition now available

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In an extended interview, Saints’ enigmatic midfielder discusses his love of creativity and why he likes to be different with his exciting style on the football pitch.

Elsewhere, Alex McCarthy discusses his first taste of Premier League football in a Saints shirt, having seized his opportunity with two clean sheets in four games.

Manager Mauricio Pellegrino and skipper Steven Davis pen their usual matchday thoughts, while Ryan Bertrand reminisces about his first memories of football in our Getting to Know feature.

Francis Benali gives his insight on how to stop the Premier League’s most prolific strikers, as he shares his own experiences ahead of Saints tackling Spurs hotshot Harry Kane.

Our history section continues to provide the perfect hit of nostalgia, while there is the usual comprehensive coverage of our opponents.

There are more outlets than ever from which to purchase this season’s matchday programme, which will continue to retail at £4.

You can also pre-order, find all previous editions and take out a subscription for the season by visiting saintsmagazines.co.uk.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/01/2018 22:39:42

| | Southampton remain keen to land Championship central defenderREADSOUTHAMPTON |

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