OptiNews - Friday 14 to Thursday 20 April 2017

Southampton Football Club
361

Sourced from Sky Sports article

Manchester United bottom of Premier League for distance covered

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Manchester United are bottom of the Premier League for distance covered but face one of the most tireless teams in Burnley this Sunday.

United have hit form with back-to-back league wins and extended their unbeaten run to 22 games after a 2-0 victory over Chelsea on Sunday.

But Jose Mourinho’s men only cover a league-low 106km per game on average and face the league’s fifth-most agile team in Burnley, live on Sky Sports this Sunday, with the Clarets running an impressive 113.7km per game

Burnley have run 462km more than the Red Devils this term - the same distance as Burnley to London, albeit having played two more games.

When it comes to individual players, United defender Eric Bailly covers the least distance of any outfield Premier League player to have played more than 90 minutes this season, with 7.99km per game.

A host of his team-mates are among the league’s least mobile players, including Phil Jones (8.89km), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (8.95km), Anthony Martial (9.16km) and Chris Smalling (9.21km).

Burnley’s James Tarkowski tops the two teams with 15.16km per game, followed by team-mates Michael Knightly (13.06km), Ashley Westwood (12.80km) and George Boyd (11.57km).

For United, Jesse Lingard (12.04km), Juan Mata (11.97km) and Marouane Fellaini (11.71km) cover the greatest distance.

Liverpool cover the most distance per game with 116.9km, followed by Manchester City (115.0km), West Brom (114.4km) and Tottenham (114.1km).

Of players that have played more than 500 minutes, Bournemouth’s Dan Gosling tops the league with a lung-busting 13.22km per game on average, followed by Liverpool’s Adam Lallana on 12.24km per game.

Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson has run the farthest of players playing more than 3,000 Premier League minutes this season, covering 376km in total - that’s the equivalent of nine marathons.

Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen is the league’s second-top runner on 370km, followed by N’Golo Kante (361km), Sam Clucas (360km) and James Milner (356km).

Perhaps surprisingly, Southampton striker Shane Long is the Premier League’s fastest player this season, hitting 35.31km/h against Watford in August.

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford is the runner-up on 35.21km/h, followed by Matt Phillips (35.20km/h), Lynden Gooch, Brad Smith (both 35.19km/h) and Kyle Walker (35.18km/h).

Rashford’s pace rattled Chelsea during United’s win at Old Trafford on Sunday and could be deployed against the Clarets this weekend. But Burnley have their own speedy striker in Andre Gray, who has a top speed of 34.87km/h.

Interestingly, Middlesbrough speed merchant Adama Traore has only matched veteran United midfielder Ashley Young on 34.97km/h.

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362

Sourced from Daily Star article

Southampton plan £15m summer swoop for Premier League ace

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Sigurdsson, 27, is under contract until 2020 but will quit the relegation-haunted Swans if they lose their battle for Premier League survival.

Saints’ scouting department have been tracking the Icelandic international for the past two years.

Former Tottenham midfielder Sigurdsson has scored nine goals in 35 games this season to give the Swans a fighting chance of staying up.

Saints boss Claude Puel has been promised a bumper transfer kitty to fund a European push next season.

Leeds’ on-loan Torino defender Pontus Jansson is also high on his list of targets, as Starsport revealed yesterday.

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Sourced from A tweet by DExpress_Sport tweet

@DExpress_Sport - Express Sport

Arsenal enquire for Liverpool and Chelsea star target: This team are in pole position #AFC #CFC #SaintsFC #LFC http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/794041/Arsenal-Southampton-50m-Liverpool-Chelsea-Virgil-Van-Dijk-Transfer-News-Gossip-News

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/04/2017 09:33:45

| | Report: Arsenal join chase for Southampton defender Virgil van DijkHEREISTHECITY |
| | Arsenal want to complete signing of £13m star ahead of Premier League rivalsARSENALFEVER |
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| Southampton reportedly targeting Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson and Leeds’ Pontus JanssonSTMARYSMUSINGS |

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Sourced from Daily Star article

Arsenal to hijack Chelsea’s £50m move for Premier League star

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Arsenal and Chelsea are both keen on Virgil van Dijk

The Dutch defender was one of the most sought-after defenders in the Premier League earlier this season before he was ruled out with an ankle injury.

But interest in the 25-year-old is set to be renewed in the summer as teams look to bolster their back lines.

And the Mirror claim Arsenal are one of the teams in the running for his signature ahead of the transfer window.

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

#OnThisDay in 1991, Rod Wallace netted twice as #SaintsFC edged #CCFC 2-1, at The Dell: https://grabyo.com/g/v/E47lSZ7POnC

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/04/2017 10:45:19

| | Arsenal hope to beat Chelsea and Liverpool Virgil van DijkFOOTBALLLONDON |
| | Southampton fans elated at links to Gylfi SigurdssonHEREISTHECITY |

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

On your lunch break?

Then give our latest #SaintsFC quiz a shot: http://sfcne.ws/QuizNames

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369

Sourced from Sky Sports article

PFA Premier League Team of the Year: Chelsea and Tottenham dominate XI

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Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur dominate the PFA Premier League Team of the Year with four players each in the final XI.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton all have one player in the side, while Arsenal do not have a single representative in the team, which is voted for by fellow professional footballers.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez, both nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award, have not been included in the team, which will be officially unveiled at the award ceremony held at the Grosvenor House, London on April 23.

All four of Tottenham’s representatives - Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose - in the selection are England internationals.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: "The PFA Awards is always a special occasion and one of the biggest nights in football’s social calendar.

“For the winners who are honoured at the awards, there can be no greater personal accolade than that of being recognised by your peers; an honour to be cherished.”

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/04/2017 11:45:26

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| Arsenal Transfer News: Virgil van Dijk Rumours Emerge Amid Chelsea InterestBLEACHERREPORT |
| | Hearts ace Callum Paterson a pre-contract target for Cardiff - transfer latestDAILYRECORD |

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/04/2017 12:45:49

| | Arsenal join race for Van DijkFOOTBALLORANJE |
| | Southampton official set to travel tonight, considering midfielder transferSPORTWITNESS |
| | Arsenal ready to hijack Chelsea’s move for Dutch defenderCALCIOMERCATOCOM |
| | Everton should give up on Koeman’s pipe dream van DijkHEREISTHECITY |

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Sourced from Optimus trousers’ RSS Feed rss feed

The Ugly Inside News for Southampton

New content from (- The Ugly Inside News for Southampton)

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Sourced from talkSPORT article

Leeds United star Pontus Jansson eyes Premier League move amid interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham

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Leeds defender Pontus Jansson has set his sights on playing Premier League football next season, amid reported interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham.

The 26-year-old has been a revelation since arriving at Elland Road from Torino last summer, chalking up 32 Championship appearances.

His form initially alerted the attention of Southampton, who may be in the market for a new centre-back this summer with the future of Virgil van Dijk still unclear.

The south coast club had watched Jansson during his time at Malmo and it is understood they have scouted him during his time at Leeds too.

However, according to Swedish newspaper Expressen, there are now three other Premier League heavyweights all keeping tabs on his situation.

It has been suggested that Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs are all well aware of his form this season and could offer him a shot at the top-flight when the transfer window opens.

This could come as bad news for Leeds, who are currently battling for a place in the Championship play-offs.

And his agent Martin Dahlin says his client will be strutting his stuff in the Premier League come what may.

He told Expressen: "He has set his sights on playing in the Premier League next season, that much I can say.

“Interest is high but you will not get me to say specific clubs. But right now he focuses solely on Leeds.”

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

:five: days until #CFC!

Remember #SaintsFC’s memorable 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge in 2002?

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Krueger’s “focus” remains on Saints “for now”

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CHAIRMAN Ralph Krueger’s “focus remains fully on Saints for now” after being touted as a potential candidate for the head coach role at Canadian ice hockey outfit Vancouver Canucks.

Krueger previously coached the Switzerland ice hockey team and Canucks’ National Hockey League (NHL) rivals Edmonton Oilers, before taking his current role at St Mary’s in 2014.

While at Saints, the 57-year-old has kept his hand in hockey, leading Team Europe in last year’s World Cup all the way to the final, where they were beaten by hosts Canada.

That surprise success in the World Cup has led to the belief that Krueger could be a great acquisition for an NHL side.

Now, with Canucks searching for a new head coach, NHL reporter Elliotte Friedman has linked Krueger with the job.

The Canadian journalist Tweeted that Krueger had told him via email: “I have had some interesting chats these past weeks, but my focus remains fully on the Saints for now.”

Krueger first took the chairmanship at Saints and its parent company, St Mary’s Football Group Limited, after returning from the 2014 Winter Olympics, where he was a consultant for the gold-medal winning Canadian ice hockey team.

The following year, when he took the role to coach Team Europe, he stated that his return to hockey would not change anything for him at Saints.

“This is not going to affect my role at Southampton,” he said at the time. “If anything, it will educate me.”

He added: “I care that we’re really transparent here so that [the fans] understand the process, that this is not going to affect Southampton Football Club at all – zero.”

These reports come amid ongoing talk of a takeover of Saints by Chinese company, Lander Holdings.

It was thought earlier this week that any deal was off but, as reported by the Daily Echo, talks between representatives of club owner Katharina Liebherr and potential Chinese investors are still underway.

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Quiz: Saints name challenge

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Can you name the 11 players to have featured for Southampton’s first-team since 2000 whose first name and surname begin with the same letter?

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/04/2017 13:45:50

| | TOGGABLOG |

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Sourced from Reuters.co.uk article

Saints have added motivation to beat top sides, says Cedric

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Manager Claude Puel’s Southampton, who are currently ninth in the league, visit league leaders Chelsea on April 25 before travelling to Anfield to face third-placed Liverpool in May.

They are also scheduled to host sixth-placed Arsenal and fifth-placed Manchester United later next month.

“We will have very important games but it’s an exciting moment to play these kind of games,” Cedric told the club website. (www.southamptonfc.com)

“We are in a good position now and we can achieve something as well. We still have our target in our mind and it’s going to be interesting until the end of the season.

“Playing these amazing teams is always good for all the players. Every Premier League game is very tough but playing against the big teams you have extra motivation which is natural.”

Chelsea, who have lost twice in their last four games, will have an opportunity to provisionally extend their lead at the top to seven points when they host Southampton.

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Sourced from Daily Mail article

Southampton excited to take on top four hopefuls

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Southampton will have extra motivation to deliver positive results when they face four of the top six Premier League sides in the season run-in, defender Cedric Soares has said.

Manager Claude Puel’s Southampton, who are currently ninth in the league, visit league leaders Chelsea on April 25 before travelling to Anfield to face third-placed Liverpool in May.

They are also scheduled to host sixth-placed Arsenal and fifth-placed Manchester United later next month.

‘We will have very important games but it’s an exciting moment to play these kind of games,’ Cedric told the club website.

'We are in a good position now and we can achieve something as well. We still have our target in our mind and it’s going to be interesting until the end of the season.

‘Playing these amazing teams is always good for all the players. Every Premier League game is very tough but playing against the big teams you have extra motivation which is natural.’

Chelsea, who have lost twice in their last four games, will have an opportunity to provisionally extend their lead at the top to seven points when they host Southampton.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/04/2017 14:46:01

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| Saints have added motivation to beat top sides, says CedricSPORTSKEEDA |
| | CLUBCALL |

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