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Ex-Saint Redknapp: That could be my last job in football
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Harry Redknapp thinks there is āevery chanceā Birmingham is the last team he will manage.
However, the 70-year-old former Saints, Cherries and Pompey boss has not ruled out taking another job in football.
Redknapp left Birmingham last night after a 3-1 home loss to Preston - a seventh defeat in 10 matches in all competitions this season.
Asked if he thought the St Andrewās job would be his last in management, Redknapp said: āEvery chanceā¦I doubt itāll happen now very much.ā
However, he continued: āIām a realist. I could go and help someone. I did it at Derby for a couple of months last year, helping Darren Wassall.ā
On his exit from Birmingham, Redknapp - who has also managed West Ham, Tottenham, QPR and Jordan - said: "Iām disappointed, but thatās how it goes.
"I enjoyed my time there and really enjoyed the job. It gave me a buzz every day. If I didnāt enjoy it, I wouldnāt have done it. The situation at my age is if I donāt want to go to work, I wonāt go to work.
"Last season was fantastic, keeping them up in the last game at Bristol City - that was one of the most enjoyable days in football.
"Given time, theyāve got a squad going forward probably as good as theyāve had in a long time, capable of challenging for the play-offs.
"But itās a shame I didnāt get the chance to see it through. I only had a week with the new players - six made their debuts last week against Norwich. We played well against Leeds in midweek and in the first half (on Saturday).
āIn the second half we went to pieces a bit and Preston were very good, but itās difficult when you throw a lot of new players together as we did.ā
Redknapp was not the only managerial departure in the wake of yesterdayās games, with Gary Caldwell sacked by Chesterfield and Michael Brown parting company with Port Vale.
āWhoever goes in will take over a good group - but these things happen,ā Redknapp continued. "I feel more sorry for the other lads who lost their jobs in the lower divisions (on Saturday).
āIāve been up the ladder and had a great time but theyāre trying to get there. Iām sad for them really. Itās not easy for these younger guys and they lose their job.ā
As for the future, Redknapp added: "Iām just about to watch one of my grandkids play, oneās at Chelsea and oneās at Bournemouth. Iāll be out and about watching football.
āMaybe Iāll play a bit of golf and Iāve got a racing stable I own that I havenāt been to for three or four months, so maybe Iāll get up there and watch the horses on the gallops.ā
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 17/09/2017 21:29:23
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| Van Dijk transfer news: āPremier Leagueās biggest teams want Virgil van Dijkā - Pellegrino | Goal.comGOALDOTCOM |
| | Crystal Palace Fan View: Five losses and counting for confidence-stricken EaglesYAHOOSPORTUK |
| | Premier Leagueās biggest teams want āone of the bestā Van Dijk, says PellegrinoFOURFOURTWO |
|| āWe never knowā ā Mauricio Pellegrino admits Southampton could sell Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk in JanuarySQUAWKA |
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| Crystal Palace 0-1 Southampton: Match Report | Roy Hodgson experienced a negative start to his Crystal Palace tenure at the hands of Mauricio Pellegrinoās ā¦ 17-09-2017 |
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| Bertrand happy with Saintsā progression2 days ago |
| Whoās the dangerman? Crystal Palace (A)2 days ago |
| Bertrand discusses Van Dijkās return2 days ago |
| Three Key Saints: Crystal Palace (A)2 days ago |
| Southampton v Crystal Palace (A) - Last time out2 days ago |
| Pellegrino makes no promises to Van Dijk over captaincy3 days ago |
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| Why Is Nathan Redmond The Whipping Boy ? | Saints win at Crystal Palace ensured that after the weekends fixtures were completed that the team sits in 8th ā¦ 17-09-2017 |
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| The Ugly Inside TV ! Crystal Palace Game Fans Reactions21 hours ago |
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| Saints V Crystal Palace The Preview2 days ago |
| Where Is The Positivity !2 days ago |
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| The Ugly Inside TV ! Saints At Crystal Palace Preview3 days ago |
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Arsenal fans left frustrated after former transfer targetās top PL performance
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Mario Lemina put in a man of the match performance for Southampton on Saturday - and it left Arsenal fans furious.
Lemina joined the Saints from Juventus this summer but was previously heavily linked with a move to the Emirates.
And when he stole the show in a battling 1-0 win for his new side at Crystal Palace this weekend, it left Arsenal fans wondering what could have been.
Gabon international Lemina cost just Ā£18million - a small fee in the current world of extortionate transfer fees - and he admitted during the summer that he was flattered at being linked with a move.
āOf course those links flatter me, but personally Iāve never doubted my qualities,ā Lemina said while still with Juventus.
āIām at a very big club now but I havenāt been able to show my qualities at that level, so itās flattering that big clubs are showing up.ā
Following Arsenalās difficult start to the Premier League season, which has only seen them win twice in their five outings after the draw with Chelsea, Gunners fans took to Twitter to ask why Wenger didnāt secure Lemina.
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 17/09/2017 22:29:36
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...flatteredly given rise to by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!| Player ratings: Southampton get past hapless Crystal PalaceMADABOUTEPL |
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| Saints star relishing competition at the back | Southampton defender Maya Yoshida has spoken of how he and his fellow central defenders must fight for the starting ā¦ 17-09-2017 |
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| Crystal Palace 0-1 Southampton: Match Reporta day ago |
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| Bertrand happy with Saintsā progression2 days ago |
| Whoās the dangerman? Crystal Palace (A)2 days ago |
| Bertrand discusses Van Dijkās return2 days ago |
| Three Key Saints: Crystal Palace (A)2 days ago |
| Southampton v Crystal Palace (A) - Last time out2 days ago |
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/09/2017 00:30:03
| | Four Findings: Southampton (H)READCRYSTALPALACE |
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Palace manager Roy Hodgson calls on his players to die for the cause
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After the chorus of boos that met the final whistle came what appeared a prescient warning over the public address system.
āI see trouble up the road,ā cried Ocean Colour Scene, which in the circumstances might not have been the best choice of post-match music.
Roy Hodgson was not denying it though. The road ahead for Crystal Palace does threaten to be a difficult one and he was left recalling the words of his new employers when they turned to him in desperation last week and asked him to succeed Frank de Boer.
āIāve obviously been told from the clubās point of view that survivalās everything, that it would be unthinkable that we go down,ā he said.
āBut I still think we will be OK, and weāll work to be OK, and this group of players will follow me and follow the others to make sure weāre OK. But it wonāt be by the end of October. Possibly it might be quite a long way forward.ā
It took just 24 hours for Hodgson to return to someone resembling the chastened figure we encountered in France 14 months earlier.
On Friday the 70-year-old was brimming with excitement and optimism. By Saturday afternoon, however, his sideās failure to respond to an early Steven Davis goal for Southampton left him looking like a man who had just traded the worst England team in history for the worst top-flight English team in history.
In the 129 years since the foundation of the Football League, no top division team had emerged from their opening five games of a season without securing a point or scoring a goal. The quality of this performance, not to mention a glance at the fixture list, would suggest Hodgson has taken on a daunting challenge.
With games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea to follow, further records could tumble for a club who have lost nine of their last 10 Premier League games without scoring.
The fact that three managers have overseen that run would suggest that these players donāt respond to the arrival of a new boss. Hodgson was refreshingly honest in his assessment of his team on Saturday, noting their anxiety as well as a lack of tactical nous.
If he was heartened by the ambition and tenacity of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who, having returned from injury, ran until his body shut down with cramp, he must have been alarmed by the timidity of more senior professionals. The frequency with which the impressive Mario Lemina won the ball off Palace players was embarrassing.
āGoing forward, Iāll have a much better idea of the playing personnel, and thatās a very important factor,ā Hodgson said.
āYou canāt just go to people all the time saying, āYouāll be OK, youāll be fine, that was all right, bad luckā, because they need more than that. What you have to say is, āLook, what weāre doing here, or what youāre doing there, thatās not what we want, thatās not good enough, youāve got to do thisā.ā
When the best Palace player on the pitch was on loan from Chelsea and one of the substitutes drove a Rolls-Royce to training on Friday, it might take more than that.
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Take a look at the best saves from gameweek five in the Premier League, featuring David de Gea, Jack Butland and Fraser Forster.
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Fansā verdict: Manchester clubs cruising while Spurs struggle at home
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The Manchester clubs are beginning to put their money where their mouths are after United saw off the return of Wayne Rooney and Everton with four goals and rivals City hit Watford for six to earn them a share of the spoils at the top of the Premier Leagueā¦ for now.
For the London clubās though, it was a much more frustrating weekend as Tottenhamās Wembley curse, in the Premier League that is, continues to haunt them as they were held to a draw by Swansea, while Chelsea finished another game with 10 men as Arsenal failed to take advantage.
Here, Sportsmail brings you the fansā verdict on a weekend full of goals and controversyā¦
For the second time this season, Manchester United scored three goals in the final 10 minutes to turn a nervous 1-0 into a romping 4-0 win.
Romelu Lukaku celebrating his goal after being jeered two seconds earlier for missing a free-kick was my moment of the season.
Oh, and Nemanja Matic is the signing of the season.
I was expecting to copy and paste last weekendās report but it wasnāt as horrific as predicted, despite conceding four with no reply.
Everton were on the backfoot instantly due to Valenciaās thunderbolt. They had a bit of fight throughout but after Wayne Rooney bottled two chances and after Ashley Williams made a poor error - despite having a good game for most - it was game over.
The last 10 minutes were a total train wreck. I donāt blame Lukaku for celebrating ā we miss him more than he thinks. After 11 successive away league games without a win for the first time since 2004, it really is Angry Birds FC.
Three wins on the spin for Newcastle and flying high in the Premier League - albeit after five games - is not bad for a club branded āin turmoilā pre-match.
Club captain Jamaal Lascelles bagged the winner for the second game running and Mikel Merino dictated the tempo of the game and was technically brilliant alongside Isaac Hayden, but it was Matt Ritchie that was the star man.
He assisted both Newcastle goals and, had it not been for some questionable finishing, he would have had even more to his name on Saturday.
Given the progress Stoke had been making in recent games this was a real step backwards and a serious disappointment!
The most depressing thing I can say about the game is that the team which deserved to win the game, won it.
Newcastle had the best of the play and the best of the chances - and earned their win.
To help them though was this stuttering Potters display which didnāt really get going until late in the game.
In a tense finale we missed glorious chances to equalise for a second time through Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mame Diouf, but that didnāt mask a disappointing effort from the team nor mask the issues raised by this defeat.
A disappointing performance from Chelsea, lacking real fluidity to our play. Arsenal in my view were set up for the taking but Chelsea never looked like taking advantage ā though credit Arsenal for their defensive display.
Chelsea did not do anywhere near enough with the ball in attacking areas and Alvaro Morata found himself isolated up front. Willian and Pedro were both disappointing and Eden Hazard was introduced too late to impact the game.
To make it worse David Luiz was sent off, receiving a straight red card and will miss a crucial Manchester City clash in two weeksā time.
A game to forget as quickly as possible.
Arsene Wenger deserves a lot of praise for making bold decisions with the starting lineup.
Dropping Alexis Sanchez with Mesut Ozil already missing was brave and very unlike him.
The pay off was an industrious performance that, given a better day in front of goal, could have seen more than one point shared.
Lacazette will want to forget the afternoon after missing two easy chances, but given the context of Anfield (4-0 defeat by Liverpool), Arsenal fans should feel heartened by the team spirit and discipline on show.
The big question now is whether Wenger will use this as a blueprint for the rest of the season. All signs point to that being a smart move.
Aaron Ramsey was a monster. Creative, hardworking, and a whisker away from a winner. He staked a serious claim for the No 10 role today. Now he just needs to stay fit.
Liverpool played quite well but didnāt take their chances and were undone by the now all too frequent defensive breakdown.
The goal they gave away was appalling, but having quickly got back on level terms the game was there for the taking.
They just couldnāt find a way through a well drilled Burnley rearguard and almost lost it late on through slack marking from a corner kick.
Jurgen Klopp spent much of the second half yelling at the Main Stand, but supporters are jittery and impatient because they are seeing the same failings over and over.
The thumping win over Arsenal feels like it was a lot more than three weeks ago.
Itās another brilliant away day for the Clarets with another outstanding defensive display against arguably one of the best attacking teams in the Premier League.
After Liverpool quickly equalised we had to hang in there at times but this was no fluke ā more a resolute defensive performance.
We didnāt allow Liverpool to get behind us and restricted them to very few clear-cut chances but when they did, they found our rookie goalkeeper Nick Pope in outstanding form.
The man of the match candidates could be found at the back with James Tarkowski just edging Ben Mee for the award.
If Match of the Day were a 24-hour program, this game would start after 23 hours and 59 minutes. A game to forget with minimal talking points.
Tony Pulis has to be more attacking against teams around us, or a lack of goals could see us struggling at the end of the season.
The only positive was seeing Jonny Evans back to his best as he looks to put the summer behind him.
One of the worst Premier League matches in history.
West Ham were buoyed by their first win of the season on Monday night but knew a trip to West Brom would be a much tougher test.
Slaven Bilic went with the same side again which frustrated many as Javier Hernandez was again on the wing and again ineffective.
A dull game with limited chances saw both teams come away with a point but back-to-back clean sheets gives the Hammers something to build on going into the Tottenham game next week.
Maybe the first and third goals were marginally offside, and maybe we should have had a penalty, but nothing was going to stop a Man City team in this form.
Of the ābigā teams, we always seem to struggle against City so, although disappointing, the result didnāt come as a huge surprise.
That said, Heurelho Gomes didnāt cover himself in any glory in goal. Maybe itās time to bring in Orestis Karnezis, and maybe even give the captaincy to Nathaniel Chalobah or Tom Cleverley.
Star man: Andre Carrillo was the least disappointing
Well, that was fun! Itās hard to describe just how good we were on Saturday ā the quality of football, the creativity, intense pressing, work rate, total dominance: it was simply sensational. Nobody could have coped with us.
Sergio Aguero obviously grabbed the headlines, but Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva were majestic once again and combined perfectly.
John Stones has taken on more responsibility this season and was robust when needed, and the sight of Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy bursting forwards every minute with blistering pace and power must be frightening for defenders. When we click, we are unstoppable.
The horrific run continues even after a management change but it would help if we had a little luck.
Nothing is falling kindly for us at the moment.
Palace were unlucky not to get any points again and while there were not as many chances as at Burnley last week, it was hard to understand how we didnāt actually score.
Now thatās more like it. Southampton could have easily slipped up, but instead put in an organised performance filled with fight, energy and resilience.
The defence handled Christian Benteke superbly, the full backs continually looked to overlap, and even Fraser Forster stepped up when we needed him.
Mario Lemina was the best player on the field and itās clear to see that heās a vital cog in Mauricio Pellegrinoās midfield; quick feet, always looking to pass forward and alive to every second ball.
Credit must also go to the boss however, whose decision to start Shane Long allowed us to put in a strong back to basics performance.
Another good point for Town, but they shouldāve taken all three points in this cracker, as Elias Kachungaās goal was wrongly ruled out for offside in the second half.
Although it was just a point in the end, the Terriers showed yet again why they can compete, with a strong attacking display.
The deputising Laurent Depoitre put in a workmanlike shift up top, while the defence was solid yet again.
Aaron Mooy continues to star, controlling and dominating the game from start to finish.
A distinct lack of quality in possession in the first half was on show, with both teams unable to find any real cutting edge, leading to a first half to forget.
Forty seconds into the second period, Depoitre obliged with the opener after out-muscling Harry Maguire.
City forward Jamie Vardy fired the Foxes level four minutes later from the penalty spot after Andy King was bought down.
City were unfortunate that they couldnāt find that final ball or touch that would make the difference between one and three points.
Well well well, what a surprise. A defensive opponent play out of their skins at Wembley and Spurs canāt break them down.
Another depressing night at the National Stadium as we consistently swung cross after cross into the box, but sadly hit the first man the majority of the time.
Bizarrely we then changed that tactic as soon as we brought Fernando Llorente onto the pitch with 20 minutes to go. Surely if there was a time to get crosses in it was when both he and Kane were on the pitch.
Too early for panic stations, particularly after the Dortmund result, but teams really do seem to know how to get a result against us at Wembley in the Premier League.
For Swansea, who have an abysmal record against Tottenham, this is seen as a hugely impressive point.
Away against such a potent attacking threat in Spurs, we did extremely well to keep them out and make it a very frustrating 90 minutes for them.
It was a monumental defensive effort, epitomised by Federico Fernandezās brilliant performance - for me, his best in a Swansea City shirt. A very satisfying point for the Swans.
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Maya Yoshida fires warning to Virgil van Dijk as Dutchman returns to Saints fold
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Maya Yoshida welcomed Virgil Van Dijk back to the Southampton first team ā then warned he will have to earn his return to a starting place.
The Ā£70million-rated centre-back came off the bench for the last three minutes at Selhurst Park, his first appearance since a foot injury in January and his summer transfer saga.
Van Dijk put in a transfer request last month but was unable to force a move to Liverpool.
Now he is back ā at least until the next window.
Fellow defender Yoshida said: āWe all know he is one of the best players in the Premier League but realistically he hasnāt played for eight months so itās not easy to come back and just play.
āHe will need a little bit of time. We now have Wesley Hoedt and Jack Stephens so weāve a lot of competition between players.
āThere is no guarantee of anyone being in the team, including myself. We all have to ensure every game that we focus for the whole 90 minutes and keep fit. Then it is going to be a good benefit for the team as well.ā
Southampton deserved their first away win of the season, earned by Steven Davisā sixth-minute goal. Former Juventus star Mario Lemina was outstanding in midfield.
āAfter three games, heās getting adjusted a little bit,ā added Japan centre-back Yoshida. āMuch better than August.
āIām very happy for him. He was man-of-the-match. Itās quite a good squad we have.ā
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 18/09/2017 08:36:34
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| Premier League Statistics: Crystal Palace 0-1 SouthamptonTHEEAGLESBEAK |
| | Crystal Palace 0-1 Southampton: Match ReportREADSOUTHAMPTON |
| | Yoshida relishing defensive competitionREADSOUTHAMPTON |
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THE VERDICT: Why Steven Davis deserves his moment in the sun
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In the midst of a disappointing defeat it can be easy to question things like character, spirit and desire.
As a professional sports person, the absolute minimum you should do is try your best.
There are always going to be some things beyond your control, and in a team sport those variables increase exponentially.
The very vast majority of pros do give their best every time they play, and so it can be a kneejerk reaction to attempt to blame some sort of lack of heart for things going wrong.
Saintsā squad knew that those sort of charges were being laid at their door after not only an iffy start to the season, but a defeat at home to Watford in which they were outplayed.
If you are in a position where you have to respond then you know you have landed in a tough spot, but exactly what you do about it says far more than how you got there in the first place.
Saints answered a lot of questions as they responded superbly at Crystal Palace.
It would have been so easy to travel away from home to face a team with a new manager, with home support behind them, and to have wilted.
But they stood up individually and collectively to get a win that you feel gets their season back on track again, or at least gives a platform to build from.
In these circumstances you need characters and leaders.
While Saints had a number of stronger performers ā the outstanding Mario Lemina included ā it was a day to really focus on one man. Steven Davis.
He scored the winning goal on his 200th appearance for the club, and what a fantastic signing he has proven to be.
Not only is he far more creative and skilful than he often given credit for, but his work rate, his professionalism and his determination are huge for the club and a lesson to young players everywhere.
There is no hint of the stereotypical flash Premier League player in Davis. He is a solid pro trying to make the best of his career every single time he steps out on to the pitch.
Saints, and Mauricio Pellegrino, are so lucky to have him.
Thankfully he was restored to the attacking midfield role, almost a number ten position, that those who regularly read these pages will know is so often championed here.
To play Davis deep is to lose so much of what he has to offer.
Alright, he may not be flash or glamorous, he may not be a number ten to keep the crowd on the edge of their seats, but he is so effective, and much more so than anybody else Saints have for that role.
Any manager would be well advised to consider putting Davis in the central attacking role of the three behind the main striker in the 4-2-3-1 and then working out who to play around him to make the most use of his abilities.
His strike after six minutes at Selhurst Park ultimately proved to be the difference between the teams in terms of the scoreline, even if the gulf in class was far wider.
Davis started the move by playing the ball out to Dusan Tadic on the right and finished it as he calmly slotted into the bottom corner after the Serbianās cross had been palmed his way by the diving Wayne Hennessey.
Saints dominated the first half but couldnāt carve out too many clear openings despite the fact they were clearly far superior to Palace, who looked shaky at the back and lacking any confidence in the final third.
Christian Benteke, to whom they so often went long, had an opening on 16 minutes on the turn in the six yard box but picked out Fraser Forster, who did well to stand tall to be able to save from close range.
Palace had a brief rally at the start of the second half and probably should have levelled things up.
They couldnāt get anybody on the end of Rueben Loftus-Cheekās low drive into the six yard box, while Jason Puncheon would have scored had he put a shot from close range anywhere other than in reach of Forster, who again made himself a formidable target as he dived across goal to save.
Oriol Romeu probably should have wrapped things up with a free header from a Davis corner while Cedric Soares extended Hennessey in the closing stages with shot at the near post after cutting in from the right.
The return of Virgil van Dijk for the final moments of the game as Saints prepared for an aerial bombardment towards Benteke that never really came ā Palace seemed already mentally defeated by then ā was an added bonus.
Pellegrino has done the hard bit and got him back onto the pitch for the first time. It has removed the elephant from the room.
The reaction of the Saints fans, who applauded van Dijk and sung his name despite all that happened with his summer transfer request, was an added bonus and will help smooth the reintegration process.
Saints can now take on Manchester United at St Maryās with a spirit of optimism, and a chance to feel they can have a go at the game, and what would be a massive win, without the pressure of feeling they have to get a victory.
Beyond all else they have at least dispelled a lot of negativity, and that was much needed.
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Yoshida knows centre-backs will feel pressure of Van Dijk return
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MAYA Yoshida admits that with Saints having so many options at centre-back all of the backline options know they cannot afford any substandard performances ā or risk being dropped.
With the return of Virgil van Dijk late on in Saturdayās 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, Saints are even more well-stocked in central defence than before.
Yoshida started alongside Ā£15m summer signing Wesley Hoedt at the back at Selhurst Park, but Mauricio Pellegrino also has Jack Stephens and Van Dijk to pick from.
And with Jan Bednarek on the fringes of the team, Saintsā centre-backs are more than aware that they must perform to keep their places, especially with Van Dijk back in the fold after his transfer stand-off.
āWe all know he (Van Dijk) is one of the best players in the Premier League but realistically he has not played for eight months so it is not easy to come back and just play,ā Yoshida said.
āHe will need a little bit of time. We now have Hoedt and Jack Stephens so we have a lot of competition between players.
āThere is no guarantee of anyone being in the team, including myself.
āWe all have to ensure every game that we focus for the whole 90 minutes and keep fit. Then it is going to be a good benefit for the team as well.ā
The Japan international was pleased Saints managed to record their first away win of the campaign at struggling Palace.
Steven Davis scored an early winner on six minutes and Saints produced a controlled display to seal victory.
āEveryone fought a lot to get the three points,ā said Yoshida.
āIt is always tough playing against Benteke but we fought a lot and we deserved the three points.
āWe needed to get a second goal ā then it would have been easier. 1-0 is always dangerous, especially the last 10-15 minutes when they put the ball into the box every time. But we have done really well.ā
Mario Leminaās performance was a particular highlight from Saintsā perspective, with the Gabon midfielder demonstrating why the club splashed out Ā£16m to bring him from Juventus.
The 24-year-old, next to Oriol Romeu, showed his quality as a ball-winner as well as producing a number of good passes to send Saints on the attack.
āAfter three games, he is getting adjusted a little bit,ā said Yoshida. Itās much better than August. I am very happy for him.
āHe was man-of-the-match today. It is a quite good squad we have.ā
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