OptiNews - Friday 15 to Thursday 21 September 2017

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 15/09/2017 07:31:21

| | 'We were punished for failing to kill the game off’GOLIVERPOOL |

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Hojbjerg heads home to Denmark after birth of child

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PIERRE-Emile Hojbjerg has returned home to Denmark after the birth of his first child - and will therefore be absent at Crystal Palace tomorrow.

The 22-year-old midfielder has been given time off to celebrate the birth of his daughter with his family in his homeland.

He will return on Monday, so will miss the Premier League early kick-off at Selhurst Park.

Hojbjerg has not been included in any of Saints’ first five games of the season.

“I’d like to congratulate Pierre Hojbjerg and his family and him on the birth of his daughter,” Pellegrino said. "Pierre is at home in his country now, “He’s the only player that’s away, all the rest are okay to be a part of the team.”

The St Mary’s chief was asked in his pre-match press conference if he believes Palace changing managers this week will make the game more difficult ,after Roy Hodgson replaced Frank de Boer, who was in charge for just 77 days, on Tuesday.

He said: "Yes and no. Yes because we don’t have too much reference about them.

"We know how Roy Hodgson was playing in the past but when you have got another group of players, everything changes.

“And no because 90 per cent of our job is to think about us, about our style, our model.”

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

COMMENT: Pellegrino’s Saints honeymoon is over

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ALL the national focus has been on Crystal Palace this week.

Chairman Steve Parish panicked in the wake of a fourth successive league loss without a goal, and Frank de Boer was axed after just 77 days.

In his place has come ex-England boss Roy Hodgson, whose last competitive game as a manager was the Euro 2016 humiliation against Iceland.

Tomorrow he takes charge of his first game, and in a way he could not wish for a better introduction.

In the same way some Saints fans might look forward to playing the top flight’s bottom team, so Palace supporters might be thinking this is the game where their club ends their goals and points droughts.

After all, Saints will rack up at Selhurst Park having failed to score in nine of their last 12 league games – ten out of 13 in all competitions if you include the League Cup loss to Wolves.

So make no mistake about it. This is a big game for Hodgson, obviously, but an equally big one for Mauricio Pellegrino.

Saints sacked their last manager after the club finished eighth in the Premier League and reached a major cup final.

A lack of goals and a lack of entertainment were two of the main sticks used to beat Claude Puel with.

Ok, it’s early days in 2017/18, but last weekend’s home loss to Watford was a throwback to the worst days of the Puel reign. Sarcastic cheers when a home player had a shot were evidence of that.

You cannot get away from the facts – Saints have only scored once from open play in five games under Pellegrino, and four of those games were at St Mary’s.

What’s more, they were against teams that, with respect, are not part of the Premier League elite – and Wolves didn’t even bring a first team with them.

Already, there is a distinct taste of déjà vu about Saints.

They are currently averaging 14.5 attempts on goal per game – exactly the same as under Puel in the league in 2016/17.

Yet last season they averaged 4.5 shots per game on target. At present, they are averaging under two.

Saints have had over 50 efforts on goal in the league this term, and have scored just one.

Like last season, therefore, is the problem the men tasked with scoring the goals, rather than the manager and his style of play?

Pellegrino has virtually the same strike options available to him as his predecessor. Indeed, following the sale of Jay Rodriguez, you could argue he has fewer options.

Manolo Gabbiadini started off well, but has scored just once since early March.

Shane Long has never been a prolific marksman at Premier League level, and at the moment can’t get in the first team anyway unless it’s from off the bench.

Charlie Austin does have form in the top flight, but Pellegrino has so far preferred Gabbiadini ahead of him.

Austin has yet to start a league game this season, which seems strange given his record.

The spotlight will be on Roy Hodgson tomorrow, but the pressure will only mount on Pellegrino if Saints lose again. Harder games will follow than Swansea, West Ham, Huddersfield, Watford and Palace and Pellegrino doesn’t want to end those five games with only five points.

The Argentine will not be given a long honeymoon period by the fans.

For some, that time might already have passed.

This is the Premier League, after all, and as de Boer will testify there is not much patience around these days.

And if the club’s best chance of goals, Austin, is kept on the bench for much longer, Pellegrino will start to lose friends rather than gain them.

Unless, of course, Saints can start scoring regularly again.

Over to you, Mauricio …

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Pellegrino targets goals against Palace

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MAURICIO Pellegrino views Saints’ match at Crystal Palace tomorrow as a big opportunity to open the scoring floodgates.

Misfiring Saints have scored just one goal from open play in five games in all competitions this season.

Boss Pellegrino wants his team to take a collective responsibility for goals and wants his side to come out firing on all cylinders at Selhurst Park.

“I see the next game as an opportunity to improve and to convert more chances and create more,” he said.

The Argentine admits he is still trying to find the right blend of players in the attacking areas to make his team start hitting the net.

He has experimented with different combinations during the opening weeks of the campaign.

“This is a process. It’s sometimes about the point of view of the manager, sometimes it’s about them as players,” he said.

"Obviously I will try to change something to be better.

"But it’s about everybody, not just the strikers.

"Sometimes it’s about our bad position on the pitch, sometimes it’s about too much anxiety to go forward.

"Sometimes we have to be more patient, sometimes we have to be quicker and sometimes we have to try more.

"But to score a goal is the most difficult thing in modern football.

“That is why people who score goals are worth £100m, £200m. Their value is really, really high.”

So is Pellegrino happy with the strikers he has at his disposal?

“These are the best strikers that I’ve got and I can have in this moment,” he said.

"We will work with them.

"Every single squad you can improve, but my job is to work with this group of players, not to talk about how they are.

"My job is to improve them. I make mistakes and the players make mistakes all the time.

“Why? Because we are part of the game and when we are part of the game you can win, lose or draw.”

The latter has been Pellegrino’s go-to man upfront on his own, but he has often been isolated.

The Italian is the scorer of Saints’ only goal from open play, which came in the 3-2 win over West Ham at St Mary’s - when the hosts netted twice from the penalty spot.

Pellegrino believes Saints have “deserved” to score more in these early stages of the season.

He said: "I think the number of goals is there because we scored three goals and it’s a fact.

"But at the same time we created more chances and we deserve to score more goals because in the past three games, we deserved to score more goals than we did.

“It’s part of our job, football is sometimes efficiency, you have to convert these chances and I see the next game as the opportunity to keep improving, to create more chances to arrive to the final third and to convert these chances.”

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Did they play for #SaintsFC, #CPFC, both or neither? :thinking:

Let us know how many you get right in our pre-match quiz: http://sfcne.ws/QuizCPFCA

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Sourced from Daily Star article

Virgil Van Dijk: Liverpool fans can’t be disappointed, Saints just wouldn’t sell - Barnes

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That’s the verdict of former Red John Barnes, who’s compared his old side’s pursuit of the Southampton man to Barcelona chasing Philippe Coutinho.

Van Dijk emerged as Jurgen Klopp’s No.1 defensive target earlier this year after establishing a solid reputation at St. Mary’s.

And an Anfield switch looked to be a formality for the 26-year-old Holland international until Liverpool were accused of tapping him up in June.

Klopp maintained an interest in signing Van Dijk until the transfer window shut but Southampton were unwilling to entertain the prospect of letting him go.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 15/09/2017 09:32:04

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| Virgil van Dijk may return to Southampton first team on SaturdaySBNATIONSTMARYSMUSINGS |
| | Former Liverpool defender expects reaction from Palace playersCROYDONADVERTISER |

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The Ugly Inside News for Southampton

New content from (- The Ugly Inside News for Southampton)

| Where Is The Positivity ! | Saints travel to Crystal Palace to take on a side with a worse record than them , hang on a minute there are 7 sides … 15-09-2017 |

Older content…

| Virgil Van Dijk Could Be In The Squad For The Trip To Palacea day ago |
| The Ugly Inside TV ! Saints At Crystal Palace Previewa day ago |
| Saints At Crystal Palace Dan’s Previewa day ago |
| The Ugly Inside TV ! Opposition View With FYP Fanzine2 days ago |
| Pellegrino Needs To Get Back To Basics Against Crystal Palace !2 days ago |
| A Rough Guide To Crystal Palace3 days ago |
| Virgil Van Dijk Returns To Action For Saints4 days ago |
| The Real Issue Is Creating Chances Not Scoring Them !4 days ago |
| Virgil Van Dijk Thought Liverpool Deal Was Agreed ! Was He Lied To !4 days ago |
| Sponsor Saints Fan Lewis Coombes On His Epic Cycle Ride !5 days ago |

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

“Every single game is an opportunity to improve.”

#SaintsFC’s Mauricio Pellegrino looks ahead to #CPFC:

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 15/09/2017 10:32:04

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| Inside Info: It has been a tumultuous week for Crystal Palace so we got to the bottom of itSBNATIONSTMARYSMUSINGS |
| | Liverpool fan demands Virgil van Dijk when he spots Reds owner at baseball gameJOECOUK |
| | ‘He played 90 minutes the other day in a game, but tomorrow we will decide’ - Southampton boss provides update on …FOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | Danish international will not feature against PalaceCROYDONADVERTISER |
| | Crystal Palace v Southampton predictions: Premier League preview101GREATGOALS |

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Ready to follow #SaintsFC at Selhurst? Our match preview has got you covered. #WeMarchOn :red_circle::white_circle:http://sfcne.ws/CPFCa

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 15/09/2017 11:32:34

| | Virgil van Dijk would not be Liverpool’s defensive saviourITSROUNDANDITSWHITE |
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| ‘A major weakness simply wasn’t addressed’ – Reputed Journalist Claims Failure To Sign £60million Target Will Haunt …THEKOPTIMES |
| | ‘He is the only player who is away’ - Southampton boss reveals £7.2m-rated midfielder will miss Palace matchFOOTBALLFANCAST |

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The Ugly Inside News for Southampton

New content from (- The Ugly Inside News for Southampton)

| Saints V Crystal Palace The Preview | Saints take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park needing a win to push them up the table and give faith back to a … 15-09-2017 |

Older content…

| Where Is The Positivity !11 hours ago |
| Virgil Van Dijk Could Be In The Squad For The Trip To Palacea day ago |
| The Ugly Inside TV ! Saints At Crystal Palace Previewa day ago |
| Saints At Crystal Palace Dan’s Previewa day ago |
| The Ugly Inside TV ! Opposition View With FYP Fanzine2 days ago |
| Pellegrino Needs To Get Back To Basics Against Crystal Palace !2 days ago |
| A Rough Guide To Crystal Palace3 days ago |
| Virgil Van Dijk Returns To Action For Saints4 days ago |
| The Real Issue Is Creating Chances Not Scoring Them !4 days ago |
| Virgil Van Dijk Thought Liverpool Deal Was Agreed ! Was He Lied To !4 days ago |

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

On The Road: Crystal Palace

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Club Details

Address: Selhurst Park, Whitehorse Lane, London, SE25 6PU

Telephone: 020 8768 6000

Capacity: 25,456

Website: www.cpfc.co.uk

Nickname: The Eagles

Home kit colours: Red and blue

Away Supporters

2,978 Saints fans will be housed in blocks R, S and T of the Arthur Wait Stand at Selhurst Park. Mauricio Pellegrino’s men will be in their green and black away kit.

Getting There By Car

Leave the M25 at Junction 7 and follow signs for the A23 to Croydon. At Purley, bear left on to the A23 at its junction with the A 235 (to Croydon). You will pass roundabouts and junctions with the A232 and A236 as you pass Croydon, after which the A23 bears left at Thornton Heath (at the Horseshoe pub roundabout).

Here you must go straight over, into Brigstock Road (B266), passing Thornton Heath Station on your left and bearing right on to the High Street. At the next mini roundabout (Whitehorse Road/Grange Road), go left into Whitehorse Lane. Selhurst Park is on your right.

Car Parking

There is no available parking at the stadium. Some local streets are subject to time restrictions and permit-only requirements. Supporters are advised to leave plenty of time when looking for local parking.

For disabled supporters, there are a small number of bays available in Sainsbury’s car park which is located next to the stadium. These bays are not monitored by Crystal Palace FC.

Getting There By Train

The nearest railway stations are Selhurst, Thornton Heath or Norwood Junction, all of which are served by London Victoria main line station. Both Thornton Heath and Norwood Junction are also served by trains from London Bridge.

From each of these local stations it is then a 10-15 minute walk to Selhurst Park. Please note that Crystal Palace station is nowhere near the ground.

Coach Travel

Coaches will depart St Mary’s Stadium at 08:00, Eastleigh at 08:15, Winchester at 08:30 and Fleet at 09:00.

The away end is sold-out. Thank you for your tremendous support.

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Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

Liverpool owner reacts to fan’s plea to sign Virgil van Dijk in January

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A Liverpool fan got his message across to owner John W Henry over the club’s pursuit of Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.

But the supporter’s plea was seemingly ignored.

The American Anfield chief was watching his Boston Red Sox baseball team at Fenway Park.

But sat just a few rows behind him was a staunch Liverpool supporter who took the chance to air his opinions on who the club should target when the transfer window re-opens for business in January.

And the fan was clear on who Henry needs to sign.

“Van Dijk in January,” he shouted at Henry, who eventually stood up and faced the fan.

“Van Dijk in January,” the fan repeated, before telling Henry: “It’s the right thing to do. He wants to play for us.”

Liverpool were desperate to sign the defender in the summer transfer window but failed to land the Dutchman, despite being prepared to pay £70million.

Chelsea were also interested in the 26-year-old but Saints refused to sell.

Van Dijk told his club in July that he wanted to leave and was forced to train alone - only returning earlier this month.

He made his playing return with the Under 23 side on Monday night in a 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp meanwhile believes his side’s problems won’t be solved solely by signing Van Dijk.

The German watched his side lose 5-0 to Manchester City and then throw away the lead against Sevilla in midweek.

But asked whether his defence should be held accountable for the goals given away, Klopp said: "Let me see the goals first.

"The first goal starts in a situation in the midfield when we can shoot the ball easily away. Emre was a little bit late, that’s the first moment. I realised something would happen because until then it was a nil situation.

"We didn’t, and at the end I think it was through the legs of Dejan. I don’t know exactly. Yes that’s not perfectly defended but I have to see it again.

"It’s of course concentration, it’s nothing else in this situation. So we started the game good, kind of dominant, played football, had immediately good moments and they score from pretty much their first offensive situation.

“That’s a mixture of being unlucky and being a little bit ‘through the wind’ as we say in Germany.”

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Sourced from Daily Star article

Liverpool made Van Dijk mistake, I think Sanchez would have joined Reds over Spurs - Molby

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The Reds made bringing in a new centre-back a priority this summer with Southampton ace Virgil Van Dijk their No.1 target.

But Saints refused to do business after accusing Liverpool of tapping the 26-year-old Holland international up and he stayed put.

Molby believes Jurgen Klopp made a mistake not being more flexible when it became apparent getting a deal over the line for Van Dijk would be impossible.

Writing for the Liverpool Echo, Molby said: "The club went strong for Virgil van Dijk and was prepared to pay a world record fee for a defender.

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

:movie_camera:

Watch our full interview with Mauricio Pellegrino, as he looks ahead to #SaintsFC’s game with #CPFC: http://sfcne.ws/MPPreCPFCA

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 15/09/2017 12:32:42

| | Vital Preview - Premier League - 15th-17th September 2017VITALFOOTBALL |
| | 5 talking points ahead of Palace vs SouthamptonFOOTBALLLONDON |
|

| Crystal Palace vs. Southampton: Preview and predictionsFANSIDEDSAINTSMARCHING |
| | Crystal Palace FC Preview: Crystal Palace v SouthamptonCRYSTALPALACEFC |
| | Where Is The Positivity ! - Southampton NewsTHEUGLYINSIDE |
| | Pellegrino To Make Late Van Dijk CallVITALFOOTBALL |

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Read Southampton

New content from (- Read Southampton)

| Southampton v Crystal Palace (A) - Last time out | Southampton haven’t made the ideal start to the new Premier League season but they’ll look to get moving in a … 15-09-2017 |

Older content…

| Pellegrino makes no promises to Van Dijk over captaincy2 days ago |
| Southampton Predicted XI: Crystal Palace (A)2 days ago |
| Southampton team news: Crystal Palace (A)2 days ago |
| Le Tissier: Southampton handled Van Dijk situation brilliantly2 days ago |
| Saints defender Hoedt discusses prospect of playing next to Van Dijk2 days ago |
| Southampton man wary of Crystal Palace’s threat3 days ago |
| What did Mauricio Pellegrino get wrong against Watford?5 days ago |
| Our man of the match: Watford (H)5 days ago |
| Southampton Player Ratings: Watford (H)5 days ago |

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

:one: day to go until #CPFC!

Who remembers this from Paul Gilchrist against our weekend opponents to send #SaintsFChttps://twitter.com/i/web/status/908673662252994560

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