OptiNews - Friday 15 to Thursday 21 September 2017

Sourced from Daily Echo article

New Palace boss demands ‘character and desire’ against Saints

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New Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson wants to see his players show character and desire during his first game in charge against Southampton.

The former England boss took over at Selhurst Park on Tuesday following Frank de Boer’s sacking after just four games in charge.

The Dutchman had overseen four straight losses without the team scoring a goal when Palace’s owners decided they had seen enough.

Hodgson said on Sky Sports News: "You are looking for character really, you’re looking for desire, you’re looking for people with enthusiasm and you’re looking for people who at least give the impression that they’re trying to do what the team wants them to do.

“I think we’ve got a lot of work to do before I will feel confident that every player fully understands with his role what I’m looking for and what I want him to do. There’s more work to do before that happens.”

Despite only taking over on Tuesday, Hodgson has been encouraged by what he has seen of his players so far.

“I’ve seen some signs that the little few things we have done and the one or two things we have said it’s not just been completely wasted on them,” he said.

“Most importantly of all I refer to those initial qualities - I want to see character, I want to see desire, I want to see enthusiasm, to see a team which shows the fans that they really care.”

Hodgson was also encouraged by what he saw in Palace’s last Premier League game before he took over, despite it being a 1-0 loss at Burnley on Sunday.

“Now I must say we’ve lost four games. The last one I watched very closely. I didn’t see too much lack of character or desire or fight in that game. I don’t expect to see it on Saturday,” he added.

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Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

Southampton boss Pellegrino on whether fit-again Van Dijk will regain captaincy

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Virgil van Dijk must convince his Southampton teammates he deserves to keep the captain’s armband after his failed attempts to force through a club-record move to Liverpool.

Van Dijk hopes to return to Premier League action at Crystal Palace on Saturday for the first time since Saints blocked a £60million switch to Anfield.

Asked on Thursday if the want-away Dutch defender — who hasn’t played since January because of injury — will retain his role as skipper, manager Mauricio Pellegrino said: “For me, the captain is something the team may decide.

“You have to deserve it.

“You cannot make the captain someone who is not playing, but obviously Virgil was one of the leaders of the squad before.”

Van Dijk made a nightmare comeback after eight months out with an ankle injury as Saints’ Under-23s were thrashed 4-0 by Aston Villa’s on Monday.

New boss Pellegrino, who banished the former Celtic ace to train on his own after he demanded a transfer, added: “Virgil was training well and played 90 minutes in a reserve game. Tomorrow we will decide.

“Hopefully he will be getting better every single week. I am happy with that because everybody, not just Virgil, is ready right now to be part of the team.”

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Sourced from Premier League - Official Site article

Pellegrino to make late decision on Van Dijk

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Mauricio Pellegrino has backed Virgil van Dijk to keep improving as he nears his Premier League comeback for Southampton, which could come on Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace.

The 26-year-old defender returned to action on Monday night in their Premier League 2 defeat at Aston Villa, having missed a large part of last season with an ankle injury, and Pellegrino said he will make a late decision on whether he will feature at Selhurst Park or not.

“Virgil was training well, he played 90 minutes the other day in a game, but tomorrow we will decide,” the Saints manager told Southamptonfc.com.

“Hopefully he will be getting better every single week, but I am happy with that, because it’s not about just Virgil. Everybody I think right now is ready to be part of the team.”

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Sourced from ESPN FC article

Virgil van Dijk could end Southampton exile against Crystal Palace - Pellegrino

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Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk could end his exile this weekend, according to manager Mauricio Pellegrino.

Van Dijk handed in a transfer request over the summer amid strong speculation linking him with a move away from St Mary’s.

The Netherlands international has not featured in any of Southampton’s five matches so far this campaign due to the uncertainty over his future, and has not played competitively since suffering a foot ligament injury against Leicester in January.

He was selected for an under-23s game on Monday – a 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa – and may now be a surprise inclusion for the Premier League fixture at Crystal Palace on Saturday as he attempts to get his career back on track.

Pellegrino said: "Virgil was training well. He played 90 minutes the other day, the reserve game. But tomorrow [Friday] we will decide [whether he features against Palace].

"Hopefully he will be getting better every single week but I am happy with that – not just about Virgil because everybody I think is ready to be part of the team.’’

Van Dijk, who was linked with a host of clubs including Liverpool and Chelsea, will be sticking with Southampton until at least January following the closure of the summer transfer window.

He captained Southampton last season, but Pellegrino was coy on whether the former Celtic man would reclaim the armband from midfielder Steven Davis.

"For me the captain is something that the teammates decide and something that you have to deserve,’’ he added. "Now, when he’s not playing, you cannot put the captain on someone that is not playing, but obviously Virgil was one of the leaders of the squad.’’

Saturday’s trip to Selhurst Park will see Southampton come up against former England boss Roy Hodgson.

The 70-year-old returned to management this week for the first time since leaving the national team job, replacing the sacked Frank de Boer in the Palace dugout.

Pellegrino is unsure whether the managerial change will make the game more difficult for his side.

"Yes and no,’’ he said. "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 percent of our job is to think about us, about our style, our model.’’

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Sourced from Premier League - Official Site article

DEFAULTVideo: On this day in 2012: Arsenal 6-1 Southampton

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 15/09/2017 06:31:11

| | The Southampton ViewTHEEAGLESBEAK |
|

| Premier League Preview – SouthamptonTHEEAGLESBEAK |
| | Top Liverpool and Chelsea target may end exile from first team this weekendCAUGHTOFFSIDE |
| | Struggling Southampton are perfect opponents for abject Crystal PalaceFOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | Predicted 4-3-3 Crystal Palace lineup vs SouthamptonMADABOUTEPL |
| | Pellegrino on whether Van Dijk will be captain upon returnFOOTBALL365 |
| | Pellegrino makes no promises to Van Dijk over captaincyREADSOUTHAMPTON |

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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Happy 22nd birthday, @SamGallagher40! :tada: #saintsfc

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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 |

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| 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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“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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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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