Southampton Under-14s suffered a narrow loss in their second game of the tournament, despite a hard-fought match against Servette.
Saints were unfortunate to lose 1-0 to the Swiss side, as an early goal in the first half was enough the get the visitors over the line.
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña showcased their technical skill during an impressive 5-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle.
Despite the result, the Argyle 'keeper had a fantastic game, pulling off several great stops.
The English side finished bottom of the table, while Deportivo topped the table with seven points.
Southampton Under-12s were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth despite playing some excellent football.
The Cherries took a 1-0 lead into half time, but Saints rallied in the second period and pulled one back after conceding a second.
The result saw Southampton finished second in their group to Bournemouth, who won all three group games.
Danish side, FC Nordsjaelland put in another stellar performance with a 3-0 win over West Ham.
The Hammers remained resilient in the first half but eventually cracked mid-way through the second, resulting in their second defeat of the tournament.
Nordsjaelland finished top of the group after winning all three of their fixtures.
| Mario Lemina: Career gallery | Southampton announced the signing of Mario Lemina from Juventus on a five-year deal on Tuesday. The club confirmed … 09-08-2017 |
New signing Mario Lemina will wear the number 18 at Southampton – and we’re offering fans 50 per cent off shirt printing when they get his name and number.
The midfielder arrived at St Mary’s in a record deal on Tuesday evening, and he could make his debut as early as Saturday’s Premier League opener at home to Swansea.
Supporters have until midnight on Friday to take advantage of our shirt printing offer, either in store or online.
To use the offer online, simply enter LEMINA50 in the promotional code box when you reach the checkout.
The 50 per cent shirt printing offer is only available for Mario Lemina’s name and number. This offer is available in store and online. For online orders please enter the promotion code LEMINA50 at the checkout. Offer is valid until midnight on Friday 11th August 2017 and cannot be used in conjunction with any other discounts or offers.
Want to get your hands on the first signed Southampton shirt from Mario Lemina?
Saints’ newest signing has autographed a home shirt for us, and we’re giving it away to one lucky supporter.
All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is fill out the form below:
For a full list of terms and conditions, please click here.
Anyone who buys a 2017/18 shirt with a name and number before midnight on Saturday will also be entered into a prize draw to win a signed shirt from the first-team squad or a player of your choice. Full terms and conditions for this offer can be found here.
Arsenal should target Southampton star Virgil Van Dijk to bolster their defence this summer. At least that’s the verdict of former Gunners striker Kevin Campbell, who revealed his viewpoint on Twitter this morning. He said: "Arsenal need 3 or 4 Top Class players to really challenge for the Title. Top Class Defender and Central Midfielder especially!!! “VVD would fit the bill 100%! Need a Big Time Defender and he is someone who knows the league well! [Jean-Michel] Seri and [William] Carvalho!!!”
“Martin Keown thinks Alexis Sanchez needs to get on with his day job amid intense transfer speculation” Meanwhile, Martin Keown has claimed Alexis Sanchez should forget about a move to Manchester City and knuckle down. He said: "[Arsene] Wenger will be relying on the fact he’s someone who loves playing football and giving his all. "They can work something out because he’s certainly made his mark at the club and been successful, so if he’s going to go he should do it in a dignified way. “He signed a contract in good faith and - while he could probably move and earn a lot more money at another club - sometimes it’s about carrying on with dignity and respect and finishing the job. That’s what he should do at Arsenal.”
Finally, Wenger has revealed keeping David Ospina at the Emirates this summer proved tough. The Colombia international was heavily linked with a move to Turkey but he will vie with Petr Cech for the No.1 spot next season. Wenger said: "It was not easy to convince Ospina to stay, but he will play games and fight with Petr Cech to start. “And anyway, we play other competitions. He wants to play in a World Cup year.”
The start of the Premier League season is now just days away with Leicester travelling south to face Arsenal in the opening fixture.
There is less than a month to go until the transfer window slams shut the top tier teams should be in shape for what will be a testing ten months ahead.
But are they?
Here, we go through all 20 clubs’ signings, departures and current injury lists while Neil Moxley has his say on each team’s chances for the coming season.
Manager: Arsene Wenger - who ended the longest debate in Premier League football last season by winning the FA Cup, signing a new deal and staying put. Now he has to deliver.
Mox says: So much depends on Alexis Sanchez. If he stays put and Alexandre Lacazette finds his feet quickly, the Gunners will be a handful.
Manager: Eddie Howe – never one to stand still, one of English football’s brightest managers has again improved the Cherries’ squad.
Mox says: The arrivals of Begovic, Ake and Jermain Defoe have undoubtedly added to Howe’s hand. Should finish mid-table and will upset one or two along the way.
Manager: Chris Hughton, plenty of goodwill in the game for one of the Mr Nice Guys. Whether that will be sufficient on its own for the Seagulls is debatable.
Mox says: Hughton, his players and the club are breaking new ground by arriving in the Premier League. It will be a surprise if they are not back in more familiar surroundings next May.
Manager: Sean Dyche – rivals Eddie Howe as the next brightest home-grown talent off the block. Continues to over-achieve with the resources at Turf Moor.
Mox says: Burnley picked up a meagre seven points on their travels. This places them under huge pressure to deliver at home. Dyche needs to find backbone in his team away from Turf Moor.
Manager: Antonio Conte – swept all before him as the Blues romped to the title. Has added but some players have been taken away too. Sadly for Conte, that doesn’t include Diego Costa.
Mox says: With Champions League fooball a welcome attraction back at the Bridge, Chelsea will need their full squad. Fighting on two fronts against this quality of opposition looks a tall order. Still work to do before the window closes.
Manager: Frank de Boer – former Barcelona and Dutch legend who has managed Inter Milan and Ajax. He is new to the Premier League.
Mox says: Palace struggled last term and if de Boer thinks he’s going to play his way up the Premier League then he’s a brave man with this squad. We think it’s going to be another slog.
Manager: Ronald Koeman – hardly put a foot wrong as he set about rectifying the mess left behind by Roberto Martinez. A very solid first season.
Current injuries: Ross Barkley (groin, expected back Aug 21), James McCarthy (knee, no return date), Aaron Lennon (knock, no return date), Ramiro Funes Mori (knee, April 1), Seamus Coleman (leg, no return date), Yannick Bolasie (ACL, no return date)
Mox says: The Toffees’ close-season work, in which the return of Wayne Rooney was a highlight, has fired the imagination at Goodison Park. Exciting times. Now for the hard bit.
Manager: David Wagner – stunning start to life in English football as he stepped out of Jurgen Klopp’s shadows to forge a reputation for himself by securing promotion at the first time of asking.
Mox says: The Terriers have worked hard to re-shape their squad for the battle ahead. With the momentum still behind them, they might surprise one or two.
Manager: Craig Shakespeare – has waited 15 years for a frontline break. Deserved a crack after steering the Foxes to safety but he has owners who are not famed for their patience.
Mox says: Shakespeare has strengthened right through the spine of the Foxes’ team and lost no-one of note. With no Champions League distractions, Leicester will be looking to get into the top eight.
Manager: Jurgen Klopp – decent return for the Liverpool chief. Champions League football was secured and this means he remains in credit with his employers and the fan-base.
Mox says: Klopp has improved his options up front but still failed to – as yet – address the Reds’ Achilles heel – their defence. Until this happens, it is difficult mounting an argument for a title challenge, particularly as Champions League football will place an added burden upon them.
Manager: Pep Guardiola – came with an immaculate pedigree. The mystique has not been totally lost but the lustre has been dulled.
Mox says: Given the money lavished on this squad, Manchester City need to do better than last season. Both the manager and his players. Should be the ones to catch.
Manager: Jose Mourinho – the man about whom everyone has an opinion. Manchester United supporters will be looking upon him more fondly now after two trophies in his first season.
Mox says: Mourinho is doing what Mourinho does. He wins trophies and buys powerful footballers. He has won the first round in the battle for supremacy in Manchester.
Manager: Rafa Benitez – still in situ, despite a fractious summer at St James’s Park. An uneasy peace has descended. It should remain calm, well, at least until the season gets underway.
Mox says: A glance at the above odds should tell the Toon Army how far behind the real hierarchy in English football they currently stand. However, Benitez has it within himself to reduce those odds by this time next season. And that would be progress.
Manager: Mauricio Pellegrino – not a newcomer to English football as worked alongside Rafael Benitez at Liverpool. But will be doing well to beat Claude Puel’s return.
Mox says: Speculation surrounding the future of Virgil Van Dijk has not helped the smooth-running of the Saints’ summer. Nor has the on-going Chinese takeover. However, are capable of maintaining mid-table berth without Europa League distractions this season.
Manager: Mark Hughes – starting his fifth season with the Potters. Will be unhappy with his summers’ work so far. May need to add further to steer clear of trouble.
Current injuries: Bojan (calf, no return date), Josh Tymon (foot, no return date), Ibrahim Affelay (knee, no return date), Stephen Ireland (leg, September 16)
Mox says: Arnautovic’s exit is a blow. He was a game-changer. Hughes needs to find a replacement as goals were in short supply at the bet365.com Stadium last term.
Manager: Paul Clement – immediate impact after taking over from Bob Bradley. To save Swansea’s skin was no mean feat. Carlo Ancelotti’s former number two has a chance to carve out decent career for himself in south-west Wales.
Mox says: Swansea stayed up in no small part to Gylfi Sigurdsson. When he goes to Everton, it will hit them hard. The Swans look short of goal-power without him.
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino – has turned Spurs into the ‘nearly men’ of the Premier League. Unfortunately, ‘nearly’ is not enough.
Mox says: Remarkably quiet summer for Spurs. But if you stand still in football, you tend to get left behind. Not adding to a squad that ultimately fell short last season is a brave call. On their day, can beat anyone – if they can conquer their Wembley hoodoo.
Manager: Marco Silva – Walter Materazzi’s replacement was given a leg up back into the Premier League after losing a fight with Hull City to stay among the elite.
Mox says: The Hornets have added a domestic core to their array of stars from all over the globe. Silva enhanced his reputation, despite Hull’s relegation, and will need to make an impact quickly if he is not to be left fighting the drop.
Manager: Tony Pulis – the Welshman is Mr 40 points. Never relegated and never come close to being relegated. His teams are hard to beat, well-organised and rarely easy on the eye. He won’t care.
Mox says: Pulis will be unhappy at losing Darren Fletcher. Unhappier still at the lack of signings. At this point, the Baggies need to be careful. The squad looks thin.
Manager: Slaven Bilic – kicks-off his third season at the Hammers with a squad that is starting to have a look of quality about it.
Mox says: The Hammers’ definitely appear to be up-grading. Hernandez, in particular, offers a genuine goal threat. Zabaleta and Hart are proven winners while Arnautovic adds a game-changing option. Those additions should translate into additional points.
Jamie Carragher believes wantaway Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk should sign for Liverpool over Chelsea as he would suit their system better.
The Holland defender stunned the St Mary’s team this week when he handed in a transfer request, claiming he was left with “no alternative”.
He has been linked with a move to Liverpool throughout the transfer window, but Chelsea have also shown an interest in the centre-back.
Speaking on new Sky Sports show The Debate, Carragher discussed van Dijk’s future, and admitted that the Premier League champions would be a more appealing prospect.
But explained perfectly why the Dutchman would be better suited playing under Jurgen Klopp as opposed to Antonio Conte.
“Chelsea have been a lot more successful than Liverpool over the past 10 years,” admitted the Reds legend.
"They are the champions and there’s the massive pull of living in London and at this moment Chelsea are a better team than Liverpool.
"But if I was him I’d have a look at how Chelsea set up in that back three. It looks to me like you’d have him as the middle man where David Luiz played so well last season.
"I don’t see either of them playing the wide centre-back position.
"I think with Liverpool the thing would be you could go there and be the man who took Liverpool back to winning trophies.
“People talk about the league but Liverpool have only won one trophy in 10 or 12 years.”
Southampton defender Jan Bednarek believes the club can enjoy success under new manager Mauricio Pellegrino.
The Poland Under-21 international was Pellegrino’s first signing after replacing Claude Puel as boss in June.
“He’s a very good coach and person, and so far he has already helped us so much,” Bednarek, 21, told BBC Radio Solent.
“I think he has a different view on football - I think we can achieve a lot with him.”
Saints endured a mixed pre-season under the Argentinian, losing their last fixture 4-0 at home to German side FC Augsburg, having won one and drawn two of their other matches.
In addition to Bednarek’s arrival from Polish side Lech Poznan for £5.7m, Saints have signed midfielder Mario Lemina in a club record £18.1m deal from Italian champions Juventus, with both in line to make their debuts in Saturday’s Premier League opener against Swansea City.
“Swansea are a good team, but it’s most important to focus on our team, to prepare the best we can,” said Bednarek.
“We have to analyse their game, which is normal, but most important is how we’ll play. If we play well I’m confident we’ll win.”
Mario Lemina, Southampton’s record signing, has been grilling his French friends about life in the Premier League in a bid to hit the ground running.
The Gabon midfielder joined Saints from Juventus on Tuesday in a £18million five-year deal.
‘I have a lot of friends from France who are here and they have explained to me what it’s like to play in the Premier League,’ the 23-year-old said.
‘It is a different league, and I hope that I adapt quickly to it because I know that it is a league where everything goes quickly. I know that the team will help me lots to get used to it.’
Lemina, who won the Serie A title and the Italian Cup twice with Juventus and featured in last season’s Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid, says he wants to reach Europe with the Saints.
‘The aims this year are the same as they were last season,’ he told the club’s website.
‘We want to finish high up the table, whether that be sixth, seventh or eight place, and why not challenge for the Europa League. I’ve seen that the club is very ambitious and we want to stay on this upward path.’
Lemina is the club’s second signing in the transfer window after Polish centre half Jan Bednarek joined from Lech Poznan.
His arrival is a boost for supporters after Dutch defensive kingpin Virgil van Dijk earlier this week handed in a transfer request.
Bednarek says Mauricio Pellegrino’s team are not talking about Van Dijk and are only focused on making a positive start against Swansea at St Mary’s on Saturday.
‘It’s Virgil’s own situation,’ the 21-year-old centre-back told the Southampton newspaper the Daily Echo.
‘This is his own problem, and we have to be separated from this, because we have an important game and for the team that’s the only important thing. We don’t think about this and don’t talk about it.’
Van Dijk was banished to train alone by manager Pellegrino after asking to leave, and subsequently handed in a transfer request to try to force a move.
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