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Tag: southampton

  • EPL: Southampton name Ralph Hasenhuttl as new manager

    EPL: Southampton name Ralph Hasenhuttl as new manager

    Former RB Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has been appointed Southampton manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

    Southampton sacked Mark Hughes on Monday, eight months after he took charge of the club, with Saints 18th in the Premier League table.

    Austrian Hasenhuttl, 51, has been out of work since leaving Leipzig in May, ending a two-year spell at the club.

    “As soon as we met, Ralph’s enthusiasm for football was contagious,” said Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger.

    “His hunger to take on a new and challenging job in the Premier League was evident. In our discussions, he quickly aligned himself with the values and the vision of the club.”

    Hasenhuttl led Leipzig to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga in his first season in charge, after taking over following their promotion from the second tier.

    The former Ingolstadt manager guided Leipzig to sixth in the German top-flight last season but left after failing to agree a contract extension.

    He will officially take over on Thursday with first team assistant coach Kelvin Davis taking charge for Wednesday’s game against Tottenham at Wembley.

    “This manager change offers us a fresh start and, very quickly, Ralph emerged as our ideal candidate,” Krueger added.

    “As a coach, he embodies the passion, structure, communication skill set, work ethic and appetite for growth that we strive for in our Southampton way.

    “The quick, smooth and seamless negotiation process underlines the character of the person that he is.”

  • Man Utd don’t have mad dogs, says Mourinho after Southampton draw

    Manchester United are lacking in “mad dogs” in midfield, manager Jose Mourinho said after his side recovered from a terrible start but were still held to a disappointing draw at struggling Southampton.

    Mourinho’s side were facing an embarrassing defeat early on as the Saints went into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes.

    Marcus Rashford inspired a comeback before half-time, with two goals in six minutes from Romelu Lukaku and Ander Herrera earning the visitors a point, but it was another unconvincing display.

    Mourinho – who played two midfielders in a back three because of injury problems – bemoaned his side’s inability to take control of the match.

    “It doesn’t matter the system we play,” Mourinho said. “(Not winning) has to do with the characteristics of the players.

    “With all due respect, we don’t have many mad dogs that bite the ball and press all the time. We don’t have many people with that spirit.”

    Neither side were able to mount any real pressure in the second half, with the draw leaving the Saints in the relegation zone in 18th with just one win in their past 15 Premier League games, including last season.

    Mark Hughes’ side will reflect on a costly capitulation at the end of the first half after fine goals from Stuart Armstrong and Cedric Soares had seemingly put them in control.

    United move seventh – still six points off a Champions League place and a massive 16 shy of the lead held by rivals Manchester City.

  • Maguire late strike gives Leicester win over Southampton

    Harry Maguire scored a stoppage-time winner at Southampton as Leicester City came from behind to earn consecutive victories in the Premier League.

    After an uninspiring first half at St Mary’s, defender Ryan Bertrand gave Saints the lead with a fierce left-footed strike from outside the area.

    The lead stood only briefly as Demarai Gray equalised for the visitors, pouncing on a loose ball to fire home from close range.

    But in the second minute of time added on, England defender Maguire wrapped his right foot around the ball from 25 yards out to beat goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

    Southampton, who have won only once at home in the Premier League this year, lost midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for a second yellow card in the second half.

    Manager Mark Hughes will be concerned about Southampton’s lack of cutting edge in attack, but Leicester boss Claude Puel will leave the south coast satisfied having beaten his former club at St Mary’s for the second time in a row.

    Maguire’s winner earned a second Leicester victory in three games to start the season, but this was far from a vintage away performance.

    Southampton enjoyed 62% of the possession in the first half, although Leicester responded well after the interval.

    The creative James Maddison and Demarai Gray were stifled in attack by Saints’ experienced and impressive midfielders Hojbjerg and Mario Lemina.

    The service to Kelechi Iheanacho, who won only three of his 10 individual battles, was limited and Leicester struggled to find a way through against towering central defender Jannik Vestergaard.

  • Man City reach 100 points with late win over Southampton

    Champions Manchester City finished the season on a record 100 points after Gabriel Jesus scored with almost the final touch against Southampton, who secured Premier League survival despite losing.

    Southampton needed a point to make sure of safety but Swansea’s 2-1 home defeat by Stoke means Saints will play in the top-flight for a seventh successive season.

    A stunning season that started with a 2-0 win at Brighton on 12 August, ended with a last-gasp win for Pep Guardiola’s side, who finish 19 points ahead of nearest rivals Manchester United.

    As well as hitting 100 points, City’s 32nd win broke Tottenham’s 57-year-old record for victories in a single top-flight campaign.

  • Substitute Giroud seals Chelsea’s victory over Southampton

    Substitute Olivier Giroud scored twice as Chelsea came from 2-0 down to win at Southampton and keep alive their faint hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League.

    Dusan Tadic’s opener, a placed effort following Ryan Bertrand’s marauding run, and Polish defender Jan Bednarek’s left-footed shot looked to be lifting Saints out of the bottom three.

    But, with Mark Hughes seemingly on course for a first league victory as Southampton manager since arriving on 14 March, Giroud sparked a listless Chelsea into life.

    The France forward’s header – his first league goal for Antonio Conte’s team – and left-footed drive sandwiched Eden Hazard’s left-foot finish as the Blues moved within seven points of fourth-placed Tottenham.

    For an hour, Chelsea’s performance epitomised their travails since the turn of the year, with the defending champions having collected just 12 points from a possible 33.

    Willian’s 55th-minute shot was their first effort on target, and there were question marks over the application of several players in the build-up to both Saints goals.

    One of those players – wing-back Marcos Alonso – was also fortunate to escape without punishment for standing on the back of Southampton forward Shane Long’s calf in the first half.

    BBC

  • Arsene Wenger scared of Mkhitaryan injury, out of Southampton game

    Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger fears Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be out for a number of weeks with a medial knee ligament injury.

    Mkhitaryan was forced off in the 4-1 win over CKSA Moscow in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.

    The midfielder will have a scan on Friday to assess the extent of the damage, but Wenger confirmed he will miss Arsenal’s game against Southampton on Sunday.

    Asked if Mkhitaryan could be out for a number of weeks, Wenger told Sky Sports News: “I fear yes, I hope I’m wrong.”

    Goalkeeper David Ospina will be out for up to three weeks, Wenger confirmed, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles is also unavailable for Sunday’s game.

    Alexandre Lacazette has not started a Premier League game in over two months, but played in place of cup-tied January signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in Arsenal’s Europa League game this week.

    Lacazette, 26, scored a brace in the victory, taking his tally to three in five days since his comeback from a knee injury.

    The £50m summer signing managed just three in his first four months with the club, but Wenger is confident there is room for both Lacazette and Aubameyang in his side.

    “Aubameyang I knew could play on the left,” said Wenger, who would not confirm if the pair will start on Sunday.

    “He played there a long time. They can play together through the middle, with Lacazette as centre-forward and Auba on the left, and with Auba up front and Lacazette behind. That’s an opportunity as well.”

    Sky Sports

  • Mark Hughes named new Southampton manager

    Mark Hughes says his “affinity” with Southampton is the reason he agreed to take charge of the Premier League strugglers until the end of the season.

    The former Stoke boss replaces Mauricio Pellegrino, who was sacked on Monday with the club one point above the relegation zone after one win in 17.

    “The objective is to make sure we’re a Premier League club next year,” Hughes said. “That’s where we should be.”

    Hughes was sacked by Stoke in January, with the club in the bottom three.

    The Welshman, 54, had been with Stoke for four and a half years and has taken charge of 445 Premier League matches for the Potters, Blackburn, Manchester City, Fulham, QPR.

    He started his managerial career with five years in charge of his country.

    Hughes spent two years at Southampton from 1998 to 2000 in a 22-year playing career that also included spells at Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona.

    “It’s a challenge I’m excited by. It’s a great opportunity to come back to a club I know well, and a club I’ve got real affinity with, and I couldn’t turn that down,” Hughes said.

    “I understand what it takes in this league to win games. But it’s about coming in and being that different voice that will enable the players to recognise and focus on what needs to be done.”

    Hughes’ first game will be Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against League One side Wigan.

    Southampton were beaten 3-0 by Newcastle on Saturday and their next league game is away to fellow strugglers West Ham on 31 March.

    Hughes is the club’s fifth permanent manager in the five years since Mauricio Pochettino, now Spurs manager, replaced Nigel Adkins.

  • Controversial equaliser sees Watford fight back against Southampton

    Abdoulaye Doucoure bundled home a controversial 90th-minute equaliser as Watford fought back from 2-0 down to draw with Southampton.

    Doucoure used his right hand to divert Troy Deeney’s header past Alex McCarthy from close range to snatch a point for the Hornets.

    Two goals from James Ward-Prowse had given the Saints a 2-0 lead at half-time as they looked to be on course to end a run of nine Premier League games without a win.

    But Watford came out stronger in the second half, thanks largely to the introduction of Deeney at the break.

    They pulled a goal back two minutes before the hour mark as Andre Gray headed home after McCarthy turned Daryl Janmaat’s shot onto the crossbar.

    Doucoure’s late intervention meant the game finished all-square, but Watford have won just once in their past 10 Premier League games.

    The home side edged an entertaining first quarter of an hour, but fell behind on 20 minutes as Shane Long’s pull-back was deflected into the path of Ward-Prowse, who guided the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

    That turned the the match in favour of the visitors, and they deservedly doubled their lead a minute before half-time. After Long’s determined run down the left, he fed Dusan Tadic on the edge of the area and the Serb helped it on to Ward-Prowse, who netted past an exposed Heurelho Gomes.

    The goals took Ward-Prowse’s tally to three goals in his past two games, having failed to score this season before the FA Cup third-round win over Fulham last week.

  • Everton and Southampton want Arsenal winger,Theo Walcott

    Everton and Southampton have held high-level talks with Arsenal about signing England forward Theo Walcott in a permanent transfer this month.

    Several clubs have enquired about a loan deal for Walcott, 28, but Arsenal will only consider a sale – otherwise he will stay until the summer.

    While not agitating to leave, the player is frustrated at a lack of games and is open to joining the Toffees or Saints to reignite his career.

    Walcott’s contract runs until 2019.

    If he departs mid-season, he is not interested in a move to a foreign club.

    Another Gunners forward who could leave this month is Alexis Sanchez, a target for Manchester City.

    Arsenal are in no rush to sanction Walcott’s exit – they want to asses the condition of Olivier Giroud after a hamstring injury and fellow striker Danny Welbeck following a series of problems.

    If Giroud and Welbeck prove their fitness and Arsenal suffer no other major setbacks, it is likely Walcott will leave 12 years after joining from Southampton.

    Returning to his first professional team has always appealed to Walcott, though Everton’s ambition to challenge the established top six of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham is also understood to be an attraction.

    Walcott was selected by Toffees boss Sam Allardyce during his short spell as England manager and is thought to be enthusiastic about the idea of playing under him again.

    Everton are also understood to be more likely than Southampton to pay the transfer fee being sought by the Gunners – reportedly about £20m – and Walcott’s £110,000-per-week salary.

    Another factor in any decision could be Everton’s position in the Premier League – they are in ninth place, while Southampton are only one place above the relegation zone.

    Walcott arrived at Arsenal in January 2006 – for £5m rising to about £12.5m – and has scored 108 goals in 396 appearances, with eight goals in 47 games for England.

    Earlier on Thursday, Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino said: “We know Walcott is a very good player but now it is not my concern to talk about players not in the club.

    “We have to be optimistic. We have a couple of targets and we are working hard in this way. The priority now is to try to help, especially in the final third.

    “But the market is really difficult. It’s about negotiations – we can control our side but not the other side.”

    BBC Sports

  • Chelsea 1 Southampton 0: Alonso free-kick extends Southampton’s miserable run

    Chelsea edged past Southampton thanks to Marcos Alonso’s winner to move level on points with second-placed Manchester United in the Premier League.

    Alonso’s long-range free kick beat Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster to put the Blues ahead in injury time of a first half the hosts had dominated.

    Eden Hazard thought he had doubled the Blues’ lead after the break, but Cesc Fabregas was flagged offside in the build-up.

    Pedro hit the post and Fabregas shot wide as Southampton rode their luck at Stamford Bridge and watched their winless streak increase to five games.

    It is an eighth win in their past 10 Premier League games for Antonio Conte’s side, who sit 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester City alongside Manchester United.

    However, United, who boast a better goal difference than Chelsea, face West Brom on Sunday.

    BBC Sports