OptiNews - Friday 09 to Thursday 15 June 2017

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Sourced from Daily Mail article

Man Utd snub Euro 2017 as Borussia Dortmund send seven scouts

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Manchester United and Liverpool are among seven Premier League clubs to have opted not to send scouts to the European Under-21 Championship this summer in Poland.

A total of 13 Premier League clubs will turn to the tournament as part of their summer search for recruitment, but United and Liverpool join Manchester City among those not represented.

Top-flight newcomers Brighton are also looking elsewhere for potential new signings, with Burnley, West Ham and Swansea sending their scouts on different missions.

United’s development team has fallen short of their biggest rivals in recent years, drawing criticism of their academy in contrast to the likes of Chelsea and City, but the club’s transfer policy this summer is centred on the first team.

While the 20-time champions of England join City and Liverpool in focusing their resources elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund have earmarked Euro 2017 as an opportunity to invest heavily in the future, with seven scouts heading to Poland.

Cologne are among several Bundesliga clubs represented, with Mainz, Union Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt all sending scouts to the prestigious tournament.

Everton scouts Carlo Jacomuzzi and Martyn Glover have been tasked with running the rule over some of the brightest players over the next month, while Arsenal and Chelsea are both taking the competition seriously with four and three scouts respectively.

Crystal Palace scout Tim Coe is the sole representative of the Selhurst Park club, while Monaco plan to take one scout in a bid to bolster their talented squad.

Deposed Premier League champions Leicester City will also take one scout, along with Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Wolves while top flight new boys Huddersfield Town have two members of staff to judge the potential of those in Poland.

Southampton, Watford and Tottenham take four scouts each while West Brom and Stoke have also acknowledged the 12-team tournament.

There are no scouting representatives of La Liga giants Real Madrid or Barcelona, but Atletico Madrid have sent Maria Lozano to keep tabs on those lighting up the competition.

The FA have taken four scouts, while there is even a Nike Football scout heading to Euro 2017 with a view to spotting the next skilful prospect to form part of their marketing campaign.

The tournament gets underway on Friday, with England taking on Sweden in their opening group match and hosts Poland facing Slovakia on the same night.

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Sourced from ESPN FC article

City must decide whether to trust Kompany or return for Van Dijk

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Manchester City don’t seem to be sure whether or not they should be going out to secure the services of Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk. The club recently announced they were pulling out of the race to sign the centre-back because of the Saints’ high asking price, believing they couldn’t justify the £60 million being asked of them.

However, that was before Liverpool made themselves the laughing stock of the transfer window so far. They had looked in pole position to sign the defender, until Southampton reported them for an alleged illegal approach and Liverpool pulled out of the transfer, issuing an apology.

With Chelsea still sniffing around, City may not be as out of the race as they had previously suggested. It all hinges on several factors – clearly they’re not enthusiastic about the price, but if the player wants to leave and Southampton want to sell there could be some room for negotiation.

It may also depend on how much Pep Guardiola is in the market for a new centre-back. The manager’s first priority needs to be full-backs, since there is only one left at the club following the departures of Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy – that’s if Aleksandar Kolarov isn’t now more fancied as a central defender instead.

Beyond that, it’s been no secret the Catalan has been an admirer of Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci. It has been reported that, even though he turned down the chance to join City last summer, the transfer tussle there may not be finished.

The pressure is on Guardiola to get the defence correct in 2017-18. For years, City’s back four has been one of the club’s weakest links – following summer after summer of bad investment on the likes of Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi, who cost a reported £42m and £32m respectively.

Even £47.5m signing John Stones admitted he was underwhelming in his debut campaign at the Etihad, though it’s clear to anybody who watched him there is potential for vast improvement that didn’t seem present with some of City’s other defensive additions down the years.

Either way, City have spent a lot and got nothing like value for money – except when their captain Vincent Kompany has been fit and in the team. Alongside him, even Mangala seemed settled and up to the job, however the skipper’s injury problems in the last two-and-a-half years have meant he’s made limited appearances. The Belgian’s run of eight matches at the end of last season was the longest he’s been in the team since November 2014.

It’s little coincidence City became a comedy of errors at the back in the time that Kompany was absent but that only serves to highlight just how important it is for the club to get their transfer business correct. At some point, be it next season or in several years’ time, Kompany is not going to be a viable option and City will have to do without him.

The final eight games of 2016-17 probably saved his career at the Etihad. That he managed to stay fit throughout and look back to his old self, slotting into Guardiola’s style of play effortlessly and instantly making the team look so much more solid at the back, will have pleased the manager.

It has, though, thrown up a gamble. Do City trust his injury problems are behind him and go into the coming campaign without making a centre-back addition? Or do they spend yet more money on that position as additional insurance should the worst come to the worst?

If Kompany hadn’t been fit for the end of last season, you can bet your life City wouldn’t have been so hesitant in their pursuit of Van Dijk.

What will give the fans hope that the captain can be back to his old self was how the club managed his latest return from injury. In the past, under Manuel Pellegrini, such was the desperation to get him back into the squad, Kompany was thrown back into the lineup as soon as he was back into full training and inevitably broke down in the next few matches.

Guardiola continually told reporters Kompany was fit and available from about February onwards last season, but the Belgian didn’t feature regularly until mid-April. Perhaps that careful management and very slow return helped the defender build up both his strength and confidence.

If 2017-18 is the year that Kompany is back in business, perhaps City can afford to play hard ball on their defensive targets for this summer. It’s a risk, but it’d be a shrewd one if the skipper can make a very welcome return on a regular basis.

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Sourced from talkSPORT article

Which current Premier League club sold the most 2016/17 season tickets? All 20 revealed and ranked

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It is an oft-repeated statement that football is all about the fans, and English football boasts some of the best supporters around.

The Premier League features packed stadiums, week after week, and is one of the best supported sporting competitions in the world.

A large portion of these stadium goers are those with season tickets, which allow fans entry to all 19 home games throughout a single leaguecampaign.

But which club saw the highest season ticket sales in the 2016/17 season?

Using officially released and reported figures, talkSPORT take a look at the teams which sold the most season tickets last term, using the 20 sides that will be playing in the top flight this coming season.

You can see the results by clicking the right arrow, above…

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 12/06/2017 13:42:50

| | Head scouts to watch over European U21 ChampionshipREADSOUTHAMPTON |

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Saints youngster helps England to tournament glory

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SAINTS academy man Callum Slattery helped England win a second successive Toulon Tournament after beating Ivory Coast on penalties in the final.

The 18-year-old midfielder held his nerve to dispatch the fourth penalty for Neil Dewsnip’s side in a 5-3 shootout triumph.

St Mary’s quartet James Ward-Prowse, Nathan Redmond, Matt Targett and Jack Stephens, who are currently preparing for the European Championship with England Under-21s, were at the heart of 2016’s win in this tournament.

Slattery had to be patient for his chance, having been an unused substitute in the opening 1-0 win over Angola, before coming on in the 54th minute of a 7-1 thrashing of Cuba in England’s second Group A game.

The England team, made up of players from under-18 to under-20 age groups, completed a perfect group stage campaign, beating Japan 2-1 to make it three wins in three, with Slattery playing the full 90 minutes in central midfield in the victory.

The youngsters progressed to the final of the competition with Slattery an unused sub for the 3-0 last four win over Scotland.

But, with the score at 1-1, Slattery was introduced on 83 minutes in the final against Ivory Coast, soon after the Elephants had levelled from the penalty spot.

The youngster, who has been at Saints since the age of eight, brilliantly slotted in his penalty to send England to a 5-3 shootout triumph and Toulon glory.

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Sourced from Daily Star article

Watch Liverpool transfer target Dusan Tadic score last minute wonder goal

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Just days after releasing an official statement apologising to Saints over contacting defender Virgil van Dijk for a potential £60m transfer, the Reds are eyeing a £13m swoop for Tadic, according to The Times.

The 28-year-old attacking midfielder has made 98 appearances and scored 14 goals for Southampton.

The Times add that Klopp is eager to see more creativity on the pitch and that Tadic is keen on a Merseyside move.

And video of the Serbian international scoring an amazing goal against Israel shows just why the German manager is interested.

Footage shows a teammate taking a free kick from the right wing as players flood the penalty area in anticipation.

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Promoted teams in profile: Brighton and Hove Albion

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Brighton and Hove Albion reached the top-flight for the first time since the 1982/83 season.

After the heartache of three Championship play-off defeats in four seasons and missing out on automatic promotion by just two goals twelve months previous, they channelled their pent-up frustration to reach the promised land.

The Seagulls picked up the most Championship points at home, winning 17 of the 22 games at the Amex Stadium, with a water-tight defence clocking up 21 clean sheets.

Winger Anthony Knockaert was named the Championship Player of the Year after netting 15 goals and contributing eight assists, while Glenn Murray proved prolific with 23 goals.

Their promotion was particularly poignant, coming 20 years since they almost crashed out of the Football League on the final day of the 1996/97 season when a 1-1 home draw with Hereford helped retain their status.

Manager

Since Chris Hughton arrived in 2014 to replace Sami Hyppia, the club has gone from strength to strength.

He has won 63 of his 123 games with the south coast club having previously managed Newcastle United and Norwich City in the top-flight, as well as doing a superb job at Birmingham despite off the field difficulty.

Hughton was named the Championship Manager of the Season and the fact he was granted the freedom of the city following promotion is testament to his ever-burgeoning popularity in Brighton.

Connections

Former Saints midfielder Dean Hammond started his career with Brighton, making 155 appearances before a move to Colchester United.

He signed at St Mary’s in 2009 and was captain when the club lifted the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at Wembley a year later.

Hammond re-joined the Seagulls during a loan spell in the 2012/13 season.

Defender Vegard Forren also signed for Chris Hughton’s men on a deal until the end of the season after time with Southampton in 2013.

Head-to-head record

Saints wins: 22

Draws: 10

Brighton wins: 8

Previous four meetings

January 2012: Brighton 3-0 Southampton

November 2011: Southampton 3-0 Brighton (Lambert hat-trick)

April 2011: Brighton 1-2 Southampton (Connolly, Fonte)

November 2010: Southampton 0-0 Brighton

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 12/06/2017 14:43:04

| | Reds chief lines up Boro raidCLUBCALL |
| | Schmidt appointed Beijing Guoan managerHERTFORDSHIREMERCURY |

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Who could forget this stirring late #SaintsFC comeback against #BHAFC back in 2011?

Retweets: 3

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 12/06/2017 15:43:17

| | Liverpool could still end up signing Virgil Van Dijk despite public apologyANFIELDHQ |
| | Tottenham Hotspur should make move for Dusan TadicHEREISTHECITY |

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Sourced from talkSPORT article

The players released by each Premier League club after the 2016/17 season

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Admittedly, when Premier League clubs informed their players they weren’t needed and were being released it probably didn’t sound quite as jovial as the Sound of Music kids singing their way to bed.

No, it was probably more along the lines of 'good luck in your future endeavours’.

Anyway, here is the list of players each club playing in the 2016/17 Premier League season have decided to wish luck for the future.

PREMIER LEAGUE DONE DEALS SO FAR

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Take a look back on some of #SaintsFC’s best goals against #BHAFC, who will join the top-flight for the first time… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/874305763052851202

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 12/06/2017 16:43:31

| | NOT AGAIN! Liverpool plotting £13 million summer move for another Southampton superstarTHEHARDTACKLE |
| | AC Milan enter talks with Liverpool defensive target, Reds plot alternative after ending Virgil van Dijk interestTURKISHFOOTBALLCOM |

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

Dele Alli & Harry Kane’s values each exceed Lionel Messi

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Dele Alli and Harry Kane are both individually worth more than Lionel Messi, according to a new CIES Football Observatory report.

Barcelona forward Neymar tops Europe with a staggering £186m projected price tag, followed by Alli (£137m), Kane (£135m) and Messi (£134m).

The research group calculates values by the performance of players and their clubs in Europe’s top five leagues, international status, contract, age and position.

Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann is the fifth-most expensive player at £132m, followed by Barcelona’s Luis Suarez on £124m.

The report suggests Manchester United’s £93.25m world-record signing Paul Pogba is now worth £119m and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard would cost potential suitors around £104m.

Other Premier League players in the top 20 include Kevin De Bruyne (£98m), Romelu Lukaku (£93m), Raheem Sterling (£87m), Alexis Sanchez (£85m) and Roberto Firmino (£75m).

Tottenham’s Eric Dier is also valued at £75m, ahead of Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa (both £74m) and team-mate Christian Eriksen (£73m), while new Manchester City signing Bernardo Silva (£71m) ranks above Leroy Sane (£66m) and John Stones (£63m).

Perhaps surprisingly, Manchester United forward Anthony Martial (£65m) is considered to be worth more than England international Marcus Rashford (£62m).

In context, Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale is a potential bargain at £59m, making the out-of-favour forward only the 43rd most expensive player in Europe - despite costing Los Blancos a then-world record £85m fee nearly four years ago.

Team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest player to make the list at 32 years old, ranking No 11 at £99m and Monaco’s 18-year-old striker Kylian Mbappe is the youngest, with the Arsenal target ranking No 18 at £82m.

In total, 110 players based in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 are valued above £35m.

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Gabbiadini back among the goals

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MANOLO Gabbiadini struck his first goal in nine games as Italy defeated Liechtenstein 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier.

The Saints man, who netted six goals in his opening four games for the club, hit a slump in form after a groin injury which kept him out of three games in March and April.

But the 25-year-old attacking midfielder has gone some way to rediscovering his goal-scoring touch after plundering the final goal of the Azzurri’s Group G thrashing of lowly Liechtenstein.

Lorenzo Insigne, Andrea Belotti and Eder had handed the Italians a comfortable 3-0 lead before the £14.5m attacker, who was bought from Napoli on January transfer deadline day, was introduced with 15 minutes remaining.

Federico Bernardeschi struck Italy’s fourth before Gabbiadini finished well from Leonardo Spinazzola’s square ball.

Meanwhile, Dusan Tadic played the full game as Serbia drew 1-1 with Wales in Belgrade in their World Cup qualifier in Group D.

Aaron Ramsey produced a paneka penalty to give Wales the lead, before Newcastle’s Aleksandar Mitrovic levelled on 75 minutes to keep Serbia top of the group.

Steven Davis captained Northern Ireland to a dramatic late triumph over Azerbaijan in their latest World Cup qualifier.

Stuart Dallas hit home in injury time to keep Michael O’Neill’s side in second behind Germany and their dreams of Russia on track.

Ryan Bertrand played the full match of England’s 2-2 draw against Scotland at Hampden Park in Group F.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gave the Three Lions the lead, before Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths hit a brace from two free-kicks to hand the hosts the lead.

England’s captain Harry Kane then levelled things up in stoppage time to secure a last-gasp point for Gareth Southgate’s side, who remain at the summit of Group F.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 12/06/2017 17:43:44

| | What did Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk do wrong?ITSROUNDANDITSWHITE |
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| Southampton to send scouts to Under-21 European ChampionshipsFANSIDEDSAINTSMARCHING |
| | Danish defender watched againCLUBCALL |

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Read Southampton

New content from (- Read Southampton)

| Serie A players Southampton should consider signing | Southampton have developed a reputation for their almost immaculate recruitment from outside of the country. While … 12-06-2017 |

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Blogs – Fresh Saints

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| Dusan Tadic: Should he stay or should he go? | According to reports at The Times, Dusan Tadic is a target for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool this summer, with the … 12-06-2017 |

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Pitch renovation started at St Mary’s today ahead of the 2017/18 season! #saintsfc

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Forster drops in England pecking order - but is backed to turn it around

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FRASER Forster has found himself fourth choice England goalkeeper after manager Gareth Southgate confirmed his team for tomorrow night’s friendly against France in Paris.

The Saints shot stopper has had an inconsistent season at St Mary’s and has now fallen down the national team’s pecking order, with Tom Heaton and Jack Butland set to share goalkeeper duties at the Stade De France for the Three Lions.

That move by Southgate, which will see Heaton start and Butland play the second half, consigns Forster to another bout on the substitutes’ bench alongside first choice Joe Hart, who will be rested for the Les Bleus match.

Despite keeping an impressive 14 clean sheets last season for Saints, the 29-year-old’s performances have come in for some criticism.

He has previously been considered one of Hart’s biggest challengers for the England number one jersey, but Southgate has dampened his prospects with this latest move.

“We’ve got to maintain the squad environment that people feel involved. That goalkeeping situation, we need to give players an opportunity, game time,” Southgate said, referring to Butland and Heaton.

“I think in the past one or two goalkeepers have sort of given up international football because they’ve not had that chance, so I’m conscious of keeping people involved.”

Despite those sentiments, Southgate has overlooked Forster once more.

His last England appearance came in May 2016 in a friendly against Australia and since then has been an unused sub in ten successive internationals.

Former Saints goalkeeper Paul Jones reckons Forster will be disappointed with how the past season has gone, but is positive that the former Celtic man will turn it around.

“He’s probably not had his best season,” said Jones. "He’s been reasonably consistent but I think he’ll be a little bit disappointed with one or two goals that he let in.

"Obviously he’s in the England squad which is great and, don’t forget, he’s coming back from a serious injury in the last 12 to 18 months, so that takes time.

“He’s only going to get better, I’m sure.”

Forster, who beat Jones’ record for the longest time without conceding in the Premier League for Saints two seasons’ ago, thinks having a settled back four will aid the towering custodian’s form.

“It hasn’t helped the chopping changing the centre halves in front of you,” he said. "As a goalkeeper you work with your centre-backs, the two in front of you is the main triangle of the stability of the back four.

“But when the injuries come in and, add the chopping and changing, it can be difficult to get a rapport together, and hopefully that starts again next season with a settled team at the back.”

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