OptiNews - Friday 28 April to Thursday 04 May 2017

Southampton Football Club
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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Saints Together: Matchday activities

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Throughout the week, we have been focusing on the incredible work that is done in the community through the Foundation’s various projects.

To help support their invaluable work, £1.50 from each edition of our matchday magazine, SAINTS, that is sold will go towards them.

Additionally, £1 from every home match ticket and 50p from each hot food item sold in the concourses will also be contributed to Saints Foundation.

As well as those initiatives, there will be a range of activities taking place at St Mary’s throughout the day for fans to get involved in.

These include:

A Saints Foundation marquee and face painter

An inflatable goal and speed gun to test the power of your strike

Chair-based exercises delivered by Health and Wellbeing Senior Project Officer Paul Hedges and his team

Foamex photography frames, with a prize on offer for whichever supporter uploads the best snap

Saints Foundation bucket collections

All of our Saints Foundation staff will be in white Saints Together T-shirts, so make sure to keep an eye out for them.

To find out more about Saints Together, please click here.

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Cédric on Hull City threat

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The Tigers are looking for their first away win since August, which is quite the juxtaposition to home form which has seen them take 19 points from a possible 21 under Marco Silva at the KCOM Stadium.

Cédric said: “Hull have a very good team, with a very good coach in Marco Silva who was my coach before in Portugal.

“We need to be aware but they need to be aware of us because we have an amazing team and we work very hard every day and we’ll be at our level to try to win the game.”

Saints have lost just once in their last 12 Premier League home games against sides in the bottom half of the table, and Cédric feels a settled team is helping him to peform.

“I’m very consistent now and I’m in a good moment. When the team is playing better it helps and my teammates are helping me to achieve a high level,” Cédric explained.

“I look forward to trying to keep this high level because it’s also difficult to maintain and I’m trying to make it last as long as I can.

“We have very good players and all the squad is strong even if players change but sometimes when you are used to a few players it is sometimes easier.

“You start to know what your teammates are going to do so I feel that can be a help.”

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Match Preview: Saints vs Hull City

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THE MATCH

Southampton vs Hull City

Saturday 29th April, 3.00pm BST

St Mary’s

Premier League

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Claude Puel has stressed the importance of a victory against Hull City, as Saints head into the game off the back of two defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City.

A win could close the gap between West Bromwich Albion in 8th, who also play on Saturday in a 3pm kick-off against Leicester City.

For the visitors, a win could be the difference between relegation and safety. The Tigers are precariously positioned one place above the relegation drop zone and have not won on the road since August.

Marco Silva knows his side will have to improve their away form if they are to maintain their Premier League status.

TEAM NEWS

Southampton: Sam McQueen returned to training on Thursday after recovering from a minor groin injury. Charlie Austin and Matt Targett were also involved in their first training sessions back, but neither will be available on Saturday.

Hull City: Hull will be without Omar Elabdellaoui on Saturday, as the Norwegian continues to struggle with a back problem. Striker Oumar Niasse, however, will be available after his red card against Watford last weekend was rescinded on appeal.

FORM GUIDE

Southampton’s previous five:

Chelsea (a) L 4-2

Manchester City (h) L 0-3

West Brom (a) W 0-1

Crystal Palace (h) W 3-1

AFC Bournemouth (h) D 0-0

Hull City’s previous five:

Watford (h) W 2-0

Stoke City (a) L 3-1

Manchester City (a) L 3-1

Middlesbrough (h) W 4-2

West Ham (h) W 2-1

TOP PERFORMERS

Oriol Romeu returned from his two-match suspension in the last game against Chelsea and showed exactly why he is so crucial to the Saints set-up. The Spaniard was hugely influential in the middle of the park and completed the game with a 88.2% pass completion rate and even got himself on the score sheet against his former club.

Top scorers: Charlie Austin (9), Nathan Redmond (7)

Most assists: Dušan Tadić (6), James Ward-Prowse (5)

Harry Maguire has been one of Hull City’s most influential players since Marco Silva took over the reins at the KCOM Stadium. The 24-year-old has captained the Tigers in recent games and there is even talk of an England call at the end of the season for the defender who joined for £2.5m from Sheffield United in 2014.

Top scorers: Robert Snodgrass (9), Abel Hernández, Oumar Niasse (5)

Most assists: Shaun Maloney (5), Andrew Robertson, Abel Hernández, Kamil Grosicki (3)

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

All-time record:

Played: 59

Southampton: 25

Draws: 20

Hull City: 15

Previous four meetings:

November 2016: Hull City 2-1 Southampton (Austin, Snodgrass, Dawson)

April 2015: Southampton 2-0 Hull City (Ward-Prowse, Pellé)

November 2014: Hull City 0-1 Southampton (Wanyama)

February 2014: Hull City 0-1 Southampton (Fonte)

DID YOU KNOW?

– Southampton have won their last four home games against Hull, scoring two or more in each game.

– Hull haven’t won away at Southampton in a competitive meeting since February 1951.

NOT AT THE GAME?

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to St Mary’s! Our interactive match centre at southamptonfc.com will have all the build-up, as well as in-game updates and free live audio commentary.

Additionally, be sure to follow us on our various social channels for behind-the-scenes access and further updates:

– Twitter

– Instagram

– Snapchat

– Facebook

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Sourced from A tweet by CureLeukaemia tweet

@CureLeukaemia - Cure Leukaemia

More fantastic match worn shirts open for auction - Cech & Wilshere finish @ 7pm Sunday! #AFC #afcb #MCFC #saintsfc… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/857946921209614336

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Sourced from BBC article

Southampton v Hull City

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Southampton defender Sam McQueen is available to face Hull after recovering from a minor groin injury.

Charlie Austin and Matt Targett have returned to full training after long-term injuries but it is too soon for them to be involved in the first team.

Hull striker Oumar Niasse is available after the red card he received against Watford was rescinded.

Defender Omar Elabdellaoui remains absent with a back problem and may not play again this season.

Mark Scott: "This is a real chance for Hull to crank up the pressure on Swansea, who play a day later.

"While the Tigers’ record on the road is awful, they can draw hope from the fact Southampton haven’t exactly been on fire at St Mary’s of late.

"That said, the Saints display at Chelsea in midweek certainly dispelled any suggestion they might already be on the beach.

“But Marco Silva’s men are likely to be just that bit more fired up than the home side, given how strong a position victory would put them in, with all-but-doomed Sunderland the visitors to their KCOM Stadium fortress next week.”

Southampton manager Claude Puel: "It’s important to take points because we want to finish in the first half of the table.

"Hull City will be a difficult game, we know, it’s important to have this good concentration in this game.

“I think it will be just as difficult as the last games against Chelsea and Manchester City. Perhaps it will be more difficult.”

Hull head coach Marco Silva on away form: "We need to change, of course we need to change.

"We analysed the last game like normal, and I think it’s clear to me and I hope it’s clear for our players what we need to do differently.

“We need to keep focus always and play with the same confidence we do at home. We need to keep focus, we conceded goals away on the counter-attack.”

As good as Hull have been at home since Marco Silva took charge in January, they still cannot win away.

The Tigers have drawn one and lost eight out of nine matches on the road in all competitions in that time, and I don’t see them improving on that record here.

SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 28/04/2017 14:58:25

| | REALSPORT101COM |
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The Ugly Inside News for Southampton

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

“We know it is going to be a tough challenge.”

Danny Butterfield on #SaintsFCU18s’ clash with #WWFC this weekend: http://sfcne.ws/PreU18Wolves

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Opposition View: Hull City

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The Tigers visit St Mary’s for a big Premier League clash, as they look to secure a result that could go a long way to ensuring their survival in the top-flight.

Hull are currently two points above the relegation zone, with the side immediately below them – Swansea – not playing until Sunday, when they visit Manchester United.

But Silva says his side will need to show plenty of concentration if they are to improve on their record of just one away win this season.

"They are a very good team, with good ideas,” said the Hull boss of Southampton. "They have very good individual players with a great capacity to have good ball possession.

"It’s one team that normally has more ball possession than the opponents. They have a good capacity to keep the ball and to find the right moments to attack the opponents.

"It’s one team to obligate our team with focus, with good intensity in the game, good aggressiveness in our defensive moment as well and to find the right moments to attack or put some counter attacks, on the opponent.

"It’s important we understand where our opponent is strong and the weaknesses they have as well.”

On Hull’s away form, Silva added: “We need to change, of course. I think it’s clear to me and I hope it’s clear for our players what we need to do differently.

“We lost the last time we played away, against Stoke, when we had a very good chance to take points. We didn’t deserve the result, but again we didn’t take points, and it’s important we understand why.

“You need to keep focused always. We need to play with the same confidence we play with at home. We’ve conceded goals away on the counter attack when the result has more or less been good for us.

“All these details for me make the difference. It’s important we understand all these situations and we keep our focus always.”

Silva has no fresh injury concerns for this weekend’s game, and will welcome back influential forward Oumar Niasse, after his red card in last week’s win over Watford was rescinded on appeal.

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

:bar_chart:

Check out the key facts and figures ahead of #SaintsFC’s meeting with #HCAFC: http://sfcne.ws/StatPackHullh

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Sourced from The Telegraph article

Premier League bingo: how many points will this weekend’s action bring?

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As Spurs continue their hunt of Chelsea and Middlesbrough make one last push for survival at the bottom, it is another huge weekend for the Premier League.

Will the title race be over by Sunday evening? Will Sunderland be mathematically relegated? Will St Totteringham’s Day be postponed for a year? Here’s our guide to the action, in the form of super-fun bingo! Tot up the points to see how well we do.

5 points: Southampton win without conceding. They lost only one of their last 12 home games against teams in the bottom half.

15 points: Hull add to the solitary point they have won away from home under Marco Silva.

25 points: Hull win, piling the pressure on Swansea at the bottom of the table.

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

Southampton v Hull preview: Oumar Niasse available for Tigers

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Hull will have striker Oumar Niasse available as they look for a long-awaited away win against Southampton on Saturday.

Niasse was shown a straight red card in last weekend’s win over Watford, but it was subsequently overturned following an appeal from the club.

He is now set to lead the line as Hull seek their first away win since August to boost their survival hopes.

The Tigers have won four of their last seven games, all at home, to move two points clear of the relegation zone.

“We need to play with the same confidence that we do in our home games,” said manager Marco Silva. "The mind has to be looking at this as one game, it doesn’t matter where it is.

“We have to keep our focus and respect the plan we have for the game all the way through.”

Southampton were beaten 4-2 at Chelsea in midweek but can still finish in the top eight.

They trail seventh-placed West Brom by four points with a game in hand.

Sam McQueen (groin) is back in the Southampton squad after he returned to training on Thursday.

Striker Charlie Austin (shoulder) and defender Matt Targett were also involved, but neither will be available to face Hull.

While Niasse is available, Hull efender Omar Elabdellaoui remains absent with a back problem and may not play again this season. Ryan Mason, Moses Odubajo and Will Keane remain absent with long-term injuries.

Southampton have won four of their previous five Premier League matches against Hull City, although they did lose last time out in November.

Saints have won their last four home games against Hull, scoring two or more in each clash.

Southampton have lost only one of their last 12 Premier League home games against sides in the bottom half of the table coming into the fixture (W7 D4 L1).

Since Marco Silva was appointed Hull City manager, the Tigers have won 20 points from 14 Premier League matches. However, only one of these points (5 per cent) has come away from home.

There have been 54 goals scored in the last 16 Premier League games involving Southampton - an average of 3.4 per game. Thirteen of these matches have seen at least three goals scored.

Despite not playing for them in over three months (January 14th) and Hull City playing 13 Premier League games since then, Robert Snodgrass is still the player with the most goals (7), most goal involvements (10) and most chances created (45) for the Tigers in the Premier League this season.

This is a game Hull might fancy to end that miserable away record. They might be thinking, ‘This can be the one’, especially when you consider Swansea are at Manchester United. It’s an opportunity.

But Southampton are a better team than many give them credit for this season. They are a decent side and should have too much for the Tigers.

Southampton are Sky Bet’s odds-on favourites for the victory at 8/13 with Hull considered the 17/4 outsiders, while the draw is 29/10. Southampton remain well backed to finish in the top-half at 1/7 while Hull are 13/8 fourth favourites to be relegated. Manolo Gabbiadini is the 100/30 favourite to score the first goal in this game, with Oumar Niasse and Abel Hernandez seen as most likely threats for the visitors at 8/1 apiece.

Southampton v Hull is included in this weekend’s Super 6 line-up, with £250,000 up for grabs again following jackpot wins in the last two rounds. Enter your predictions for free here.

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 28/04/2017 15:59:12

| | Premier League Preview: Southampton vs. Hull CityNBCSPORTS |
|

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| Southampton v Hull City Correct Score Betting Tips - 29-04-2017KICKOFFCOUK |

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Sourced from Daily Mail article

Southampton v Hull City: Team news, kick-off time, odds and stats

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Ahead of this weekend’s Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Southampton’s home clash with Hull.

Hull manager Marco Silva is boosted by the availability of striker Oumar Niasse against Southampton after the striker had his suspension rescinded.

Niasse was shown a straight red card in the win over Watford, but it has been subsequently overturned following an appeal from the club, and the striker is likely to retain his place in the side.

Defender Omar Elabdellaoui remains absent with a back problem and may not play again this season, while Ryan Mason, Moses Odubajo and Will Keane remain absent with long-term injuries.

Southampton have won four of their previous five Premier League matches against Hull City, although did lose last time out in November.

The Tigers haven’t won away at Southampton in a competitive meeting since February 1951, losing 10 of 15 trips there since that victory (D5).

Saints have won their last four home games against Hull, scoring two or more in each clash.

Southampton have lost only one of their last 12 Premier League home games against sides in the bottom half of the table coming into the fixture (W7 D4 L1).

Since Marco Silva was appointed Hull City manager, the Tigers have won 20 points from 14 Premier League matches. However, only one of these points (five per cent) have come away from home.

In the seven Premier League away games that Marco Silva has taken charge of Hull City, the Tigers have an aggregate score of 3-17 (W0 D1 L6).

Only Burnley (4) have won fewer points away from home in the Premier League this season than Hull City (5), but the Tigers have conceded the most goals on the road (41).

There have been 54 goals scored in the last 16 Premier League games involving Southampton – an average of 3.4 per game. 13 of these matches have seen at least three goals scored.

Thirteen different Southampton players have scored a Premier League goal this season; but none of these have more than six goals (Charlie Austin and Nathan Redmond both have six). Alongside Stoke City, they are the team with the lowest scoring top goalscorer in the Premier League this season.

Despite not playing for them in over three months (January 14th) and Hull City playing 13 Premier League games since then, Robert Snodgrass is still the player with the most goals (7), most goal involvements (10) and most chances created (45) for the Tigers in the Premier League this season.

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Puel: It’s important for us

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Saints face Marco Silva’s men with the visitors fighting for survival and seeking a first away win since August.

Puel said: “It’s an important game for us after two losses, it’s important now to move forward and to take points.

“We know to finish in the top half of the table is important for us and for the fans.

“I think Hull City are a good team with good technical players and they play good football. They won their last game with ten-men against eleven which shows good spirit.

“It’s important in front of our own fans to have a good game and hopefully get a good result of course.”

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Sourced from talkSPORT article

Premier League preview show

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Tom Rennie is joined by the former Manchester City defender Kit Symons to reflect on Thursday’s Manchester derby and to look ahead to this weekend’s Premier League action, including Manchester United v Swansea and the North London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal.

Tom is also joined by the former Leicester, Norwich and Watford striker Iwan Roberts to assess the situation at the bottom of the table, ahead of a weekend where Sunderland could be relegated.

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Puel praises Silva influence

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The Tigers are two points above the relegation zone and will be looking to secure what could prove a vital success at St Mary’s, having won 19 points from a possible 21 at their own ground.

And Puel knows his side will have to show a ruthless streak if they’re to see off Silva’s men.

He said: “I think the statistics are not important for me because every game is different. This team want to stay in the Premier League and we need to have a good focus.

“He has worked very well and they have tried to play good football with quality and a good spirit.

“They have made progress but the most important for me is to focus on our team and to make progress in having more of a clinical edge.

“We need to continue the quality we have on the pitch and to be more clinical in the opposition box.”

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 28/04/2017 16:59:29

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

#SaintsFC boss Claude Puel is expecting a difficult test when #HCAFC visit St Mary’s on Saturday:

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Butterfield braced for confident Wolves challenge

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The table-topping Wolves side are unbeaten in their four previous Division Three outings, though Butterfield has been pleased with Saints’ preparation.

“As it stands they sit top of the table,” he explained.

“So we certainly know it is going to be a tough challenge. I am sure they will be a confident group but our preparation has gone very well throughout the week.

“I think we’ll be relatively young with some of the Under-16s stepping up, and hopefully we can learn a bit more about them ahead of next year.”

Butterfield and manager Craig Fleming will have to make do without Jake Vokins for the visit to Wolverhampton.

The left-back has travelled to the UEFA European Championships in Croatia with England Under-17s - an experience Butterfield believes he more than deserves.

“We are delighted for Jake,” he continued.

“He’s been away with England previously in Portugal and has obviously done enough to be recalled, which is great for him.

“He is part of a very strong England set-up and has done well to get into that squad. We wish him all the best and hopefully he does himself proud.”

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